|
Group Commander
 |
Doing the Right Thing
My last two messages to you have explored
issues involving our core values, and this one will follow the same
path.
Thus far in my tenure as Group III
Commander, I've had the good fortune to present eight Mitchell Awards.
Now, I wouldn't say that I have a standard speech that I give every time
I'm afforded this privilege, but I always manage to say similar
things. I usually start by defining what it means to be an officer, and
then I talk about how the cadet who has just received his or her
Mitchell award, in becoming an officer, is accepting a mantle of
responsibility that far exceeds any expectations that cadet has ever
been previously accountable to. And then I follow up with an admonition
to rely on our core values when confronted with a difficult situation,
because our core values give us a way to dimension what "the right
thing" is in relation to being a CAP volunteer.
We all know that this advice doesn't apply
only to cadets who just received their Mitchell – it really
applies to all of us. It applies especially to commanders, because –
trust me on this one – commanders often come across some pretty thorny
problems.
For example, not many of you are aware that
– even as I compose these words – the TX-030 unit (not all of Group III
mind you, just the TX-030 headquarters unit) is suspended from all CAP
activities because of deficiencies in our S3 report (property). Now, as
a Group Commander, I have some very important responsibilities here, not
the least of which is to take whatever action is necessary and in
accordance with regulations in order to resolve the suspense and get
TX-030 back to active status again. Otherwise, as a suspended unit, we
won't be able to execute our missions.
It so happens that no item unaccounted for
has a paperwork trail showing that anyone in TX-030 has ever signed for
it, and that fact alone should obviate the suspension. But that doesn't
really solve the problem, does it? We still have several very expensive
pieces of equipment that need to be accounted for. Even if no one in
Group III ever signed for them, I wouldn't be doing the right thing
if I didn't make every effort to assist Wing in locating these assets.
As a Group Commander, as a CAP officer, and
as a volunteer who has been entrusted with the authority to make use of
taxpayer-funded assets – radios, vehicles, and aircraft – my job will
not done just because a suspension is lifted. My core values compel me
to make an extra effort, and do everything I can to assist my
organization in locating these important pieces of equipment. In fact,
these items were really entrusted to us all, even if I did not
personally sign any form accepting custody of them.
There is an object lesson here.
I hope all of you have understood it, and
are on board with our shared responsibilities.
Lt Col
Owen Younger, Commander |
|
Aerospace Education
 |
Group III Rocketry Day, 5 May
DUNCANVILLE, TX – The Camp Wisdom Boy
Scout facility, in Duncanville, TX, was "home" to the Group III
Rocketry Day, on an overcast and windy day. The activity was made
possible by a $995.00 grant from the Air Force Association, Dallas
Chapter 232, augmented by a fee of $10.00 paid by each cadet to
cover ancillary expenses. In attendance were 20 cadets and 8 senior
members, from six CAP squadrons in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Guided by CAP signs posted on the roads that directed them to Camp
Wisdom, senior members started to arrive at 0800. Other signs inside
Camp Wisdom led them to the assembly point at the pavilion where the
rockets were to be constructed. Sign-in began at 0830, and opening
ceremonies followed soon after, with recitation of the Pledge of
Allegiance and the invocation led by Capt Frank Stalling. Later in the
morning, a moment of silence was offered in memory of Astronaut
Wally Schirra, who died on 3 May, in San Diego, CA.
Walter M. Schirra Jr., was one of the original Mercury Seven
astronauts, and the only astronaut to fly in all three of NASA's
earliest manned space programs – Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. A
former Navy pilot known for his keen sense of humor, he was
gregarious and friendly to a fault. Yet, when the mission was on, he
was completely serious and a consummate leader. He was a staunch
supporter of youth programs all his life.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[1]-[3] Building the X-15 rocket, a project that turned out
harder than expected. [4] Class picture [5] Building
the Phase III rocket.
After paying their respects to the memory of a great man, the cadets
started with the X-15 Rocket, the program's chosen historic
rocket. The model has a challenging fin system and provided a good
learning experience for the cadets. The relatively high wind and
humidity also provided additional challenges. As it turned out, the
X-15 was actually more difficult to build than the Phase III
Rocket. Because of the prevailing wind, it was decided not to use
the parachute recovery system provided in the kit. Instead, the
cadets used construction safety tape to develop a trailing-ribbon
recovery system. This rocket was completed about 1130, just in time
for lunch, which was brought in from the local Subway shop.
After the meal, the cadets started construction of the Phase III
Rocket. Most of the cadets built the Loadstar Rocket, a two-phase
assembly designed to carry a payload. With improved skills thanks to
their experience building the X-15, the cadets made good time
completing the Loadstar.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
[6]-[8] A successful launch, with perfect alignment and
recovery. [9]-[11] Another successful launch, that floated
almost out of field.
The cadets then launched the 40 rockets they had built during the
day, plus some Phase I rockets they had brought along.
12.
13.
14.
[12]-[14] Success...
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
[15]-[19] After resounding success...
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
[20]-[25] Plus a magnificent dud and its impromptu safety
lesson.
Also, some
cadets did multiple launches. At last count, there were over 70
successful launches. Operationally, as "lessons learned," the
following details stood out:
-
There were 12 misfires, many caused by improper attachment of
igniters.
-
Three rockets melted down on the launch pad because of
misalignment of launch lugs.
-
A few of the Phase I rockets with the parachute recovery systems
floated out of field.
Overall, the day was a great success and a powerful aerospace
learning experience.
Group III is grateful for the generous support of the Air Force
Association, Dallas Chapter 232. In addition, Group III thanks the
Boy Scouts of America for making their fine Camp Wisdom facility
available for the Group III Rocketry Day event.
(Photos: Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand and 1st Lt Robert Smith)
Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt, AEO
|
|
Aerospace Education - Scholarships
 |
2007 AFA Flight Scholarships Announced, 10
May
DALLAS, TX
– The Executive Council of the Air Force Association, Dallas
Chapter 232, is pleased to announce the awarding of the 2007 AFA
Flight Scholarship in the amount of $600 each for attendance to
Civil Air Patrol Flight Academies (as shown) to the following
cadets:
|
CAP National Flight Academy |
| Blahut, Paul |
Strakele, Grayson |
|
Texas Wing Powered Flight Academy |
| Lame, Travis |
Prucha, Derek |
| Maso, Brandon |
Schroder, Edward |
| Nalls, Garrett |
Schulgen, James |
| Patrick, Matthew |
Smith, Andrew |
Congratulations to all the awardees. Upon arrival at the Academy,
the AFA will be notified of each cadet’s attendance and a check will
be sent to the Academy. All awardees are asked to also make
themselves available to attend a future AFA Quarterly meeting (after
they have attended the academy) in appreciation for receiving the
award and to share their experiences. They will be notified of
dates, times and locations at a later date.
A special thanks to the Air Force Association, Dallas Chapter 232,
for their most generous support. Should you meet someone from the
AFA, please thank them personally.
Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt, AEO
Daedalian Foundation Announces Cadet Flight
Scholarships, 12 May
DALLAS, TX
– The Daedalian Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the
Order of Daedalians, is dedicated to providing
encouragement for young men and women to become military
pilots. The Foundation also provides funding for high
school students who are interested in flying and are
members of the Civil Air Patrol.
The Dallas Chapter of
the Daedalian Foundation awards, annually, a $1,500.00
scholarship to local Civil Air Patrol cadets. This year,
the organization chose two winners, splitting the
scholarship into $750.00 for each cadet. Winners were
Cadet Tech Sergeant Edward Schroder of the Lakeshore
Composite Squadron and Cadet Tech Sergeant Garrett Nalls
of the Texoma Composite Squadron.
“We are pleased to make
this announcement, and hope that these young people have
a brilliant and happy future,” said Dick Clothier, the
Daedalian Liaison Officer to CAP. The total cost of the
Texas
Wing Powered
Flight Academy is $1,100.00 per cadet; each
awardee will make up the difference in course expenses.
Both cadets and Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol, are
grateful to the Daedalian Foundation for their generous
donation.
The Order of Daedalians’
membership is composed of active duty, reserve or
retired military pilots of heavier-than-air, powered
aircraft. Their Latin motto, “Volabamus volamus” is
aptly chosen (We Flew [and still] Fly) and reflects
their love of flying in all its aspects.
Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt, AEO
|
Cadet Programs
Guest Commentary
 |
Cadets Work the SAREVAL, 18-20 May
D.W. HOOKS AIRPORT,
SPRING, TX – When I joined CAP almost a year ago, I had little interest in the cadet
program. Since it was one of our missions, I knew it must have some
importance, but I still couldn’t help viewing cadets as a bunch of kids
who marched around the parking lot during our squadron meetings.
Over time, my attitude changed. I started to see the transformation that
took place as new cadets progressed in the program. I also noticed their
change during promotion ceremonies as they received rewards, promotions,
and additional responsibility. Watching a group of cadets that spanned
all grades, from Cadet Airman Basic to Cadet Colonel was a bit like
watching time-lapse photography.
Still, I wasn’t ready to view them as anything more than just kids. Not
yet. After all – I reasoned – CAP is a search and rescue operation, so
what good are they going to be when the going gets rough? The last thing
I thought we needed was a bunch of kids getting in our way. But if
cadets can grow in wisdom and experience, so can senior members. And
that's what happened to me.
Over the past two months, I’ve had the privilege of working as a mission
staff assistant trainee during the distributed SAREX in Waco and then
again during the SAREVAL at Houston Mission Base. I was assigned to the
air operations branch, and from that vantage point I had the opportunity
to see how missions are planned and executed. It was also a good spot
from which to learn how the different staff functions interrelate.
The work was chaotic, stressful, difficult, but above all rewarding.
People with varying degrees of experience and ability, all of them
committed to the CAP program, managed to pull it off through sheer will
power, hard work and dedication. They gave of their talent generously,
and they supported each other every step of the way. It was in this
environment that one thing stood out and reached my heart and mind – the
importance of our cadets.
These past two months I observed that our cadets were not a bunch of
kids who got in the way. On the contrary, they were committed young
persons, capable of performing important tasks necessary to our
accomplishing the overall mission. Although they could have been having
fun elsewhere, they chose to work alongside the senior members, often
doing the things that no one else wanted to do. Without complaint, they
assisted the command staff, performed ground team missions, handled
communications, provided security and much, much more.
Despite the long hours, and the stress of having Air Force evaluators
looking over their shoulders – as was the case during the SAREVAL –,
cadets in proper uniform maintained their military bearing and did what
was asked of them promptly, courteously and without complaint. Their
participation was critical to Texas Wing, since without them we might
not have attained a Successful rating in our evaluation. As I made this
awareness my own, I also learned how wrong I had been, because now I
knew that when the going gets rough, it is nice to have some cadets
around.
Savoring the experience I've gained in the last two months has taught me
that CAP is not just a search and rescue organization. It is more than
that. Through our Cadet Programs, we play an important part in shaping
the lives, minds and hearts of young people. Ultimately, by performing
our Cadet Programs mission successfully, we actually help create
tomorrow’s civic, industry and military leaders. And in the end, as we
help shape their training, cadets wind up shaping our lives.
(2d Lt Michael Bownds, Mission Staff Assistant Trainee) |
| Chaplain
 |
Time Well Spent
The month of June is full of summer activities. My schedule for this
month is packed with out-of-state ministry, conventions, summer
encampment, 37th wedding anniversary, plus all of the normal work piled
on top of it. I’m wondering how I'll ever get everything
accomplished. I’m sure this is true of most of our Civil Air Patrol
volunteers. And most of us were very busy before we ever joined CAP,
too.
Sometimes I chuckle when I remember how I was recruited into CAP. They
told me that the squadron needed a chaplain, and, "A couple of hours a
month would be a great help." I was sure that I could find a couple of
extra hours a month, so I dove right in. Of course, in reality, it is
more like a couple of hours a day. Naturally, it is good to be
productive with an abundance of worthwhile activities. However, there
are some dangers best avoided when we start getting too busy.
When the demands on our time become overwhelming, we normally look for
activities that we can cut
– and, unfortunately, we often cut
from the most important area. At least in my case, at one point,
personal devotional time was one of the first areas I cut. I just hit
the ground running and prayed on the go. I'm sure I'm not the only one
to make this choice.
Now, let's reflect on this. Our spiritual strength comes through
fellowship with God. It is in His presence that we overcome, experience
victory, develop our faith, and grow to higher levels of
spiritually. Even the Lord Jesus took time from his busy ministry, and
devoted it to prayer and meditation. Unless we spend time with God, we
have no way of experiencing God’s best in our lives.
As we move into the busy summer season, I encourage you to preserve and
cherish your personal devotional time. In fact, if you do not have a
personal devotional time, I invite you to join with me daily
–
for a seven-minute devotion at seven minutes to seven, as I
start each morning.
Just seven minutes a day, in His presence, can make your day.
Chaplain (Maj) Ron Whitt |
|
Chief of Staff
 |
Open Group III Staff Positions
Personnel/Admin Officer, and Emergency Services Officer. For
details, please contact the Chief of Staff -
alan.omartin@verizon.net
Maj Alan O'Martin, COS |
|
Finance
 |
|
Group III Patch Available
|
Are you on Group III Staff? Wear the Group III Staff patch
proudly. At $5.00 each, they are a bargain and show your
commitment to Group III and the CAP program. (Click on the image
for a larger view.) |
|
|
Group III Coins Available
 
Our mint
has delivered a batch of new
Group III Commemorative Coins, and you may own as many as you wish,
for $10.00 each. They make wonderful gifts for your loved
ones ... or even yourself. (Click on the images for larger
views of the obverse and reverse.)
To purchase either
Group III Patches or Group III Coins, please contact Maj Alan
O'Martin -
alan.omartin@verizon.net |
Maj Laurie Lancaster, FO |
|
Honor Guard
 |
A Slow but Fun
May
May has been another fun, if uneventful, month for the Group III
Honor Guard. We had our two scheduled meetings; the first one in
Mesquite, where we practiced Rifle Drill for a routine we are
putting together, and the other one in Red Oak, where we practiced
Colors presentation but were forced to seek shelter and practice
rifle drill when a storm blew through.
After the Red Oak meeting the cadets went to Cici’s Pizza and then
to the movies for a fun filled evening.
|
Honor Guard's Upcoming Events |
|
30
June |
Addison
– Honor Guard Meeting, 8:00 am-12:00
noon |
|
3 July |
Addison
– Presentation of Colors at KaBoom Town Celebration |
|
7 July |
Addison
– Honor Guard Meeting, 8:00 am-12:00
noon |
|
21 July |
Addison
– Honor Guard Meeting, 8:00 am-12:00
noon |
Join the Honor Guard
Anyone interested in joining the Group III Honor Guard or who would
like the Honor Guard to perform at a function, please contact
c/Capt McKinney or
1st Lt Opal McKinney.
1st Lt Opal McKinney, HGO |
|
Inspector
General
 |
Changes and Resolutions
Since wing supplements have been
suspended, there are now some "orphaned" areas that
have been a source of confusion. I'll try to clear
the air and answer some of the questions I've been
asked.
-
There's much confusion about
paint and decal markings on vehicles. Therefore,
there won't be any findings assessed on vehicle
markings until there's a clear directive from
Wing and above.
-
As most of you know, the wing
banker program will take effect in Texas Wing
starting in August. Needless to say, at that
time, the Finance Tab D-3 of the current SUI
Guide will be rendered partially obsolete.
-
Aircraft Management is another
item that has changed considerably with the
advent of WMIRS and wing assuming control of
maintenance.
-
Numerous other areas come to mind
but space is too limited to go into each one of
them. Keep in mind that we'll inspect only those
areas that still apply at the unit
level, as we have done in the past.
Paperless Reporting
With the accelerating transition toward paperless
reporting and record-keeping, it is strongly
recommended that
–
when reporting
electronically
–
the unit
maintain some proof of transmittal. E-mailing is
ideal, because those messages bear a date/time
stamp.
If you are transmitting and maintaining records
electronically, make sure they are on the squadron
computer. That's why they were issued to us. It is
imperative that you back up your data on a regular
basis, and keep the backed-up information at a
remote location for safe-keeping.
For those of you who are computer challenged (as I
was, and in many cases still am), please familiarize
yourselves with the basics. Computers are the way of
the future, and they're here to stay.
Thinking Ahead
We also encourage commanders, staff, and members to
start thinking outside the box. With the current
transitions, there are bound to be glitches and
hiccups in the system. Ask yourself, "What can I do
to make this better?" Then, submit any suggestions
up the chain.
Remember
– Your
primary
goal is to be in compliance with current
regulations.
Nearly two-thirds of the group's squadrons have been
inspected. With some luck and cooperation, by 1
November no units will be on waivers from
National. Because of Group III's tremendous amount
of activity over the past couple of months, we
anticipate running two inspection teams during
August and September, so we can get the remainder of
the units inspected.
On behalf of the IG team, I thank you
once again for your cooperation and assistance, and
wish everyone a Successful or better
inspection. And I have a special Thank you
for those who now regularly participate as members
of inspection teams. If you wish to participate on a
team, please let me know.
Capt Steve Manley, IG
Civil Air Patrol Ethics Policy
On 25 August 2005, the National
Commander issued this
policy letter
as a guide for all CAP members. Please make sure that you understand
it, implement it, and remain vigilant concerning any violations.
Inspection Schedules
Unit inspection schedules are
now posted on the Group III
website's Squadron Support / Inspector General page.
Capt Steve Manley, IG
|
|
Professional Development
 |
About the Senior Officer Course - AFIADL 000013
I
encourage each squadron to set up a workshop for the Senior
Officer Course - AFIADL 000013 (formerly called ECI-13). During the
workshop; members will work through all four volumes of the course,
including the questions at the end of each unit. To be eligible for
this training, each participant needs to be registered for the
AFIADL 000013 Course.
I want to encourage the squadrons to
contact me for specific details. Each squadron can set up a course
either at the unit or at a central location convenient to several
squadrons.
Not having
taken this course keeps far too many CAP officers stagnant in their
career progression, when they should be advancing as they really
deserve. Here are the requirements to complete Level II and earn
promotion to Captain:
-
Complete Level 1
-
Attend
a SLS (Squadron Leadership School)
-
Attaom
a Technician Rating in a specialty
track
-
Complete AFIADL 000013 (CAP Senior
Officer Course)
-
18 months in grade as a 1st Lt.
And here's another bit of news. If you
participate as a staff member or director of an SLS, this satisfies one
of the requirements for Levels IV and V.
Member Reports Now Online at
e-Services
CAP now offers a new online Member Reports
feature at e-Services. Members who have access to Member Reports
can use their PCs to view reports directly from the central CAP
repository. This lets you review the most accurate and timely data
available.
Member Reports is a Restricted Application,
assigned to members by their Web Security Administrator (WSA) as
directed by an appropriate commander. Currently, the application is in
its infancy, but it promises to become the must-have for accurate member
reporting. More reports will be added to support CAP missions and
administration most commonly requested by CAP Members. Members will be
able to select the report of their choice, after providing member
organization, member type, and choosing one of three available formats:
PDF, Word, or Excel.
The following personnel Information is
available online at the Member Reports page on e-Services
(left-hand side of main page): General, Achievements, Address,
Characteristics, Contacts, Duty Positions, Photo, and Training. Members
should review their information often to ensure that it is accurate and
up to date. You can edit your own contact information; other information
must be submitted by your unit. If you need help, please ask your unit
PDO.
Senior Member
Training Opportunities
|
Date |
Course |
Place |
Comments |
|
30 Jun - 1 Jul |
SLS |
Austin |
Course
Directors / Staff Members needed. (Doing this satisfies one
of Levels IV & V requirements.) Contact
1st Lt Daren
Jaeger for information. Look for the Ops Plan on this
website. |
|
18-19 Aug |
CLC |
TBD |
Course
Directors / Staff Members needed. (Doing this satisfies one
of Levels IV & V requirements.) Contact
the
Group III PDO
for information |
|
30 Aug-2 Sep |
Pilot Cont Tng |
Odessa |
|
Course
Directors and Staff Members are needed for the 2007 SLS and
CLC
courses. Participation as a Staff member or Director of an SLS or
CLC is a requirement to complete the Level IV and V Leadership part
of the Professional Development Program. You will find this activity
a fun and rewarding experience. Interested persons, please contact
the Group III PDO.
1st Lt Vanessa Smith,
PDO |
|
Public Affairs – Waco CSAREX
 |
Waco Consolidated SAREX,
27-29 April
WACO REGIONAL AIRPORT, TX – About 100
volunteer members of Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol, with 11 aircraft and
6 vans, gathered during the weekend of 27-29 April to participate in a
Consolidated Search and Rescue Exercise (CSAREX). This major exercise,
involving Texas-wide subordinate CAP squadrons that assembled and operated as a unit,
was controlled from the Waco Regional Airport in Waco, TX. Coincidentally,
this is also where the Texas Wing Headquarters is located.
The exercise commander
(the official job title is Incident Commander or IC) was Lt Col Donald
“Chuck” Kowalewski. The exercise control element, called Mission Base
(as well as Incident Command Post or ICP), was staffed by qualified CAP
personnel drawn from across Texas. Also present would be two USAF
observers and Mr Ed Brown, Texas State Director (who is also a Colonel
in the Texas Air Guard). Blackland Aircraft Corp. had graciously
provided their hangar on loan for the weekend, which would be used for
temporary billeting, briefing, and mission preparation area.
Participating flight crews and ground
teams were to be tested on their ability to successfully find assigned
targets, either solely from the air, through ground team activity alone,
or by conducting coordinated air-ground searches, all of them operating
as if they were dealing with a real event. Aircrew planning, flight
briefing, sortie execution, use of gridded charts and report production
were to be evaluated throughout, along with ground team and operational
and command staff performance.
In the afternoon of
Friday, 27 April, ICP personnel arrived and set in motion the complex
coordinated effort required to finalize and implement the CSAREX.
Communications, the sole responsibility of Cadet Senior Master Sergeant
Michael Moody, was up and running shortly after nightfall. This highly
reliable portable setup, a mobile box that had traveled from Georgetown,
TX some 85 miles to the south, was powered by batteries that were kept
fully charged by a self-contained generator. Rolling the little trailer
into place, unpacking it, setting up the antennas and radio, and testing
it took only 45 minutes, beating night-fall by just a few minutes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
[1]-[2] On Friday, Cdts Michael Moody and
Joshua Wreyford unload the field kitchen and communications kit from the
Apollo C.S. trailer. [3]-[4] Waco C.S. cadets prepare to
go out on a ground team sortie on Saturday. [5] TXWG Commander
Col Joe R. Smith, trainee CUL Capt Brady, and Cdt Michael Moody in front
of the radio setup [6] Col Smith talks with ground team members.
next to him, Cdt 2d Lt Dale Crump and his father, 1st Lt James Crump.
Upstairs, in the
borrowed office space, a live broadband Ethernet connection – tapped via
a computer switch – promptly provided effective computer reach that
staff members were able to use in order to prepare, share, and refine
the operational and administrative functions of the CSAREX.
By 11 p.m. Friday, some
CAP vans had arrived, bringing ground team personnel. Other CAP members
used their personal vehicles. Of all ages, they came from all over Texas
to this one city, temporarily turning it into Texas Wing’s consolidated
center of field operations. Two aircraft were tied-down on the apron
area by the hangar. The ICP staff members gathered for the final
briefing of the day, sorted out needed details, and then retired for the
evening. The following day would mark the start of air and ground
operations.
On Saturday, 28 April,
after breakfast at 6 a.m., mission staff personnel prepared for the
general briefing at 8 a.m., which was followed immediately by two group
briefings, one addressing ground operations personnel, the other one,
aircrews. The Wing Commander, Col Joe R. Smith, kicked off the general
briefing by welcoming and thanking everyone present, then reminding them
that, “Nothing is worth taking a risk and compromising safety.”
By this time, all
expected personnel and equipment had arrived, including all aircraft and
aircrew members. The purpose of the CSAREX was to accomplish as much
individual training as possible, based on the participants’
qualifications and requests. To this end, individual scenarios were
prepared to test the participants’ ability to do the tasks required, and
help them gain additional skills.
Radio communications
were ready and the communications net was opened, accommodating
ground-to-air on two channels, ground-to-ground on a 3rd
channel, and air-to-ground using a 4th channel. Participants
were cautioned to ignore radio traffic not addressing them individually,
because each team would be assigned unique tasks, unrelated to those of
other teams.
This differs from a
Directed Exercise, where there is a specified scenario common to all and
individual teams are required to work on small portions of the overall
objective(s). In this case, paying attention to radio traffic would not
only be a help but a necessity, since all activities would focus on
common goals.
Vehicles must be
inspected immediately before they can be taken on a mission – either
aircraft or vans. This causes a delay in the start of every mission, and
slows down air sortie and ground team launch times. Most cadets
participated in ground search missions, though in some instances some
might have been part of an aircrew, rarely as pilots but more often in a
scanner/observer role – this time, none were used in this capacity.
El Paso and Amarillo
had been expected to participate in the CSAREX as forward areas,
simulating unspecified remote locations distant from the Incident
Command Post. Due to adverse weather – high winds – El Paso was unable
to operate as the exercise got under way, and would re-evaluate
conditions later on Saturday.
At 11 a.m. Saturday, Mr
Frank Patterson, Emergency Operations Coordinator for the City of Waco,
visited the ICP. The Incident Commander and the Information Officer
received him and briefed him on CAP’s capabilities. The group was later
joined by Mr (Col) Ed Brown, Texas State Director, who is an old
acquaintance of Mr. Patterson’s.
During the conversation
that followed, Mr. Patterson mentioned that, in June, Waco is planning a
tabletop exercise over a hypothetical 2-county-wide area, designed to
test Functional Interoperability. Such an exercise will actually take
place during July in Central Texas. The concept of operations is to test
the ability of all member agencies to share information – seamlessly and
efficiently – after an extensive upgrade of radio equipment that
incorporates programmable frequency technology. “We had to do this on a
budget,” he said. “If we’d had all the money in the world, it would have
been in place and working already.”
The IC had set a goal
of launching all flights by 11 a.m. – that is, three hours after the
start of the general briefing – an objective that in fact required quick
and efficient handling of all administrative, hands-on and clearance
requirements. This is a stringent goal that is seldom realized, often by
several hours. In this case, the goal was achieved by 11:15 – just 15
minutes late. “Not bad,” was the general feeling. In fact, morale was
high at all levels. The aircrews were happy, and the support personnel
knew that “the impossible” wasn’t that hard to accomplish after all.
By 2 p.m. Saturday,
three ground teams had returned from their missions, and aircrews had
flown 24 sorties, all of them successfully completing their assignments.
This was an impressive score, especially on the part of the aircrews,
and the participants knew it. The result was a quiet but effective boost
to morale that promoted some gentle joking and friendly banter.
At the close of daily
operations by nightfall on Saturday, 28 April, the Texas Wing, Civil Air
Patrol Consolidated Search and Rescue Exercise (CSAREX) participants had
successfully completed 6 ground search missions and 35 aerial sorties.
These had been launched and returned to base, each on a simulated
emergency mission designed to perfect the skills of individual members.
These skills – and experience – are destined to be put to the test
without notice, whenever a natural or man-made disaster strikes.
During the staff
mission briefing at 7 p.m. that evening, the Texas Wing Commander, Col
Joe R. Smith, thanked everyone for doing a good job. Then he added, “In
my 20 years in the Civil Air Patrol, this is the first exercise in which
there have been no complaints about communications.” The Communications
Officer for the exercise, Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Michael Moody,
age 15, smiled in rosy-cheeked bashful pride, as he held the portable
radio he had brought along so that one of the two Mission Radio
Operators he had left in charge – some 120 feet away – could reach him
in case of an emergency.
Within seconds of
hearing the Wing Commander’s praise, a call came through on Cadet
Moody’s set, “Ops, this is Mission Base. Received Mayday and ELT signal
acquired.” The radio operators were both 13 years old, but they had
their proper radio procedure down pat. The tone of the voice was not
that of an adult’s, but the urgency in the words and the message format
were very real.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
[7] Col Joe R. Smith, Wing commander, talks with
1st Lt Cheri Fischler, Apollo C.S. commander, who provided meals from
her portable kitchen. [8] At the commo post, standing at left,
Mr. (Col) Ed Brown, Texas State Director, Capt Brady, Cadet Michael
Moody, Incident Commander Lt Col Donald "Chuck" Kowalewski, and Mr.
Frank
Patterson, Emergency Operations Coordinator for the City of Waco
[9] Exercise participants enjoy a meal "al fresco" as catered by
1st Lt Cheri Fischler. [10] Cdt Andrew Papson (Black Sheep C.S.),
one of the Mission Radio Operators, tells 1st Lt Jim Wreyford (Apollo
C.S.) about the "Mayday" transmission. [11] Cdt Michael Moody
establishes known details about the "Mayday" and subsequent presumed
crash (later turned out that the pilot walked away from the wreckage).
Whenever an Emergency
Locator Transmitter (ELT) goes off, the Civil Air Patrol and the US Air
Force take it seriously; especially when preceded by a “Mayday,” the
international convention for, “Help me, I’m in trouble.”. Sprinting as
never before in his life, Cadet Moody literally flew out of the briefing
room and raced down the stairs and out the building, on his way to the
exercise’s radio post. Other staff members, less young than he, followed
at a slower pace and were soon by the communications desk, listening
attentively to the radio traffic.
At the Incident Command
Post, after establishing that the event was real, the wheels were set in
motion for the Civil Air Patrol to be activated. Within minutes, the Air
Force Rescue Control Center (AFRCC) had issued a mission number, and the
exercise got a “Red Cap” – as an AFRCC mission number is known. A CAP
aircrew had been flying in the vicinity of the Waco Regional Airport,
and had identified an intermittent ELT signal.
At this point, since
the Incident Commander and his deputy – Lt Col Brooks Cima – had both
worked a full duty day, but Lt Col Dietrich Whisennand – a qualified and
experienced IC – had not, command was transferred to the latter for the
rest of the evening. A similar arrangement was made for the
communications team.
After selecting
available Ground Team Leaders and Ground Team Members among those
present, two ground teams were assembled. It was at that point that news
came in. The downed aircraft had been located, the pilot had walked away
from the wreckage – slightly wounded – and there had been no fatalities.
There were, however, two other ELT signals still active in the area. One
was near Austin, about 90 miles to the south, and another one about 10
miles west of the Waco airport. “We have a Red Cap,” said the ground
team members, and off they went, seeking to deactivate the Waco signal.
The Austin ELT was to be handled by Pegasus Composite Squadron, at Camp
Mabry; that commander had already been alerted.
12.
13.
14.
15.
[12]-[13] Both on Saturday and Sunday, the
flight-line was always in flux, as sorties flew off and returned.
[14]-[15] Maj Dan Williams (Commander) and 2d Lt Richard Hacker,
both of Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron, inspect their aircraft prior
to flying a sortie. Maj Williams is wearing sun-glasses.
A limitation of CAP’s
Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft is that if the cross-wind component of the
prevailing winds is greater than 15 knots, they cannot operate – as this
would be unsafe. Although Central Texas had been expected to have less
than perfect weather for the weekend, the incursion of a high-pressure
area covering Texas from the Panhandle to the Beaumont area had kept
stormy conditions localized to the southwest and northeast. This weather
haven, however, started to move eastwards late Saturday, so two CAP
planes were sent off on a one-way mission to their West Texas home
stations. This, too, mirrors the real-life situations encountered during
hurricane season.
In a fluid weather
environment, Search and Rescue (SAR) assets are located at a Staging
Area (SA) as close to the trouble spot(s) as possible, consistent with
safety. As the weather changes, so changes the SA’s location. In this
case, since the exercise was scheduled to end on Sunday, 29 April, it
was easier to send each affected plane and aircrew back on a one-way
mission.
The “Find” on Saturday
evening had put the ground team members in a good mood. The aircrew that
first detected the signal, too, will get recognition for the job. They
will all be entitled to wear the Civil Air Patrol’s “Find” ribbon.
On Sunday, 29 April,
operations resumed at a steady pace. El Paso was still unable to launch,
so they committed to ground team work. Amarillo had been tasked and was
already part of the exercise. At Mission Base, buoyed by the evening’s
“find,” and happy about their own good performance, personnel at all
levels worked in concert, helping operations progress smoothly and well.
Another ground team was tasked with a mission, completing all tasks as
required. Aircrews kept going on sorties. Several times during the
exercise, Cadet Moody operated the mission base radio while all aircraft
and multiple ground teams had been launched, keeping close tabs on the
progress of all missions.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
[16]-[17] The Incident Commander, Lt Col Donald "Churck"
Kowaleski, briefs the pilots before they fly their missions. [18]
Back from the mission, paperwork seems endless. [19] The of the
day for this aircrew. [20] A rare quiet moment at the Incident
Command Post. In the background, at the blackboard, Lt Col Cynthia
Whisennand directs her son, Cadet Matthew Whisennand, both of Irving
C.S.In the foreground, 1st Lt Brendan Goss stands by Maj Randy Russell,
as they finish entering an update to the status of operations.
Mission Base Staff
training took place as well. Several CAP officers, designated as Mission
Staff Trainees, had assisted various staff officers in the conduct of
normal functions. As they performed individual tasks, they were checked
off if successful, nearing certification for the job. One of the
successful trainers was Cadet Moody, who qualified two Mission Radio
Operators (one cadet and one adult), as well as finished checking off an
officer assigned to Texas Wing who was working towards her
Communications Unit Leader (CUL) rating (she passed).
When asked for
comments, the latter said, “At first I was a bit surprised that I would
be instructed by a cadet. But that was before he started answering my
questions. He was awesome. He probably taught me more about
communications than I've learned so far. He’s the first one to explain things to me in a coherent way,
rather than telling me to accept it just because that’s the way it’s
always been done. He gave me concrete reasons and good examples. He was
a great instructor. He took the time to explain how it is done,
demonstrated it to me, made me practice it, tested me, and made sure I
knew it before he would sign me off. Nice, too.” She is now an accredited CUL.
At the end of the
exercise on Sunday, 29 April, 71 air sorties had been flown and 9 ground
team missions completed, all with "Successful" results. Of these, 1 air
sortie and 2 ground team missions had been “real world” work, performed
under the umbrella of a USAF mission number.
This had been a real-time exercise. Since
CAP, the civilian all-volunteer arm of the U.S. Air Force, is in a state
of constant readiness, these periodic exercises and evaluations are
critical in assuring optimum response time in the event of natural or
man-made disasters. Hundreds of volunteer man-hours were invested in the
planning, organizing and execution of this exercise.
CAP’s stated purpose is to respond
quickly and proactively whenever disaster strikes. In Texas, during
hurricanes Katrina and Rita, CAP flew numerous damage assessment
sorties, aided in evacuee processing, sent ground teams to assess
on-site damage, provided transportation for emergency services personnel
and helped minimize the effect and repercussions of these events. More
recently, during the Texas wildfire season that spanned November 2005 to
April 2006 and burned an area roughly the size of the State of New
Jersey, CAP’s firewatch missions were credited with having prevented a
disaster of catastrophic proportions.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Information
Officer |
|
Public Affairs – SAREVAL 2007
 |
SAREVAL 2007, 18-20 May
D.W. HOOKS AIRPORT,
SPRING, TX – Every two years, the
U.S. Air Force evaluates each Civil Air Patrol wing in order to
establish how capably they can perform their missions. Texas Wing’s turn
came on the weekend of 18-20 May, 2007.
Texans know much about
the weather and its perils. They also know that it hasn’t been until
recent years that weather prediction has become more accurate, to the
point that preparing for it and taking preventive action is possible
without unnecessary disruption of the normal routine. For this
evaluation, the Air Force created a scenario based on a hypothetical
storm, “Hurricane Buster,” hitting the Galveston/Houston area and moving
inland with ferocious winds.
Ran as a Distributed
Search and Rescue Exercise, 25 locations in Texas – representing all 5
groups – provided air and ground team assets ready to carry out their
assigned missions. Over a month before the evaluation was to take place,
the Incident Commander, Maj Pat Benoit, gathered experienced and capable
CAP members to staff the Incident Command Post, to be located at the D.W.
Hooks Airport, in Spring, TX, a suburb of Houston. To be known as
“Houston Mission Base,” it would direct all other units, each remaining
in its own staging area, dispersed from Sulphur Springs to Brownsville,
and from Amarillo to Baytown, covering all of Texas.
Over the last two
years, Texas Wing has had to deal with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and
that experience was still fresh in everyone’s mind. Texas Wing had
contributed to the damage assessment and relief operations in the
aftermath of Katrina, but Texas had been left largely untouched. Rita,
on the other hand, had hit Texas directly, albeit in a small area, but
the threat had been dealt with quickly and effectively.
Whereas Rita had
followed an uncertain path, to the point that initially the predicted
landfall covered the entire coastline extending from Brownsville to
Mobile, AL, it had twisted its path clockwise and landed at New Orleans
once again, with a path of destruction reaching westward to Beaumont but
missing Galveston and Houston entirely.
The historical record
isn’t much help in predicting where a hurricane will go, since each
storm is its own entity and resolves its path as it is influenced by the
weather systems present in the area. In 1961, Houston had suffered a
crippling blow when, late in the season, Carla had hit it with 150 mph
winds – one of the worst storms in decades, resulting in damage costing
some $2 billion in 1990 dollars. Would this exercise involve a repeat
performance?
The Texas Wing Planning
staff was certain that it would get a workout during this evaluation
exercise, so everyone prepared for it. Sure enough, it started with the
delayed release of a message dated April 20, warning of a simulated
hurricane that was expected to hit Florida, followed by another message
dated 4 May, pinpointing “Tropical Storm Buster” in the proximity of
Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. From this point on, the simulated threat
accelerated, “Buster” grew to a category 3 hurricane, and eventually
barreled across the Gulf of Mexico towards Galveston and Houston.
Although the exercise
was scheduled to start on May 18, the planning staff was faced with a
number of situations they had to resolve on paper before anyone actually
set foot at Houston Mission Base. This is called the “table-top” phase
of the exercise. Although all actions are just announced, rather than
carried out, each is evaluated on the basis of its expected result
against the announced danger.
On May 18, Houston
Mission Base was partially (but functionally) manned by 10 a.m., and
fully manned by 6 p.m. that evening. This is when play started in
earnest, and the Staging Area Managers began to receive their taskings.
Some missions were assigned that Friday, and carried out as preliminary
moves. Some aircraft were moved out of the hurricane’s expected path,
and given missions that required them to land elsewhere and spend the
night there. Friday was a long day, and although operations had been
scaled down earlier, planning kept working until 10 p.m., preparing for
the big day.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1] Cadets set up
their tents, by the Delta Composite Squadron's building at D.W. Hooks
Airport. [2] During a break, the Incident Commander, Maj Pat
Benoit, gets an update from the Security Chief, Capt Steve Manley.
[3] Cadet get organized for their security detail. [4] C/1st
Lt Patrick Buchman helps with admin work and electronic faxing.
(Photos: Capt Arthur Woodgate)
By Saturday, May 19,
full-fledged operations were set in motion across Texas. Some aircrews
were asked to run damage assessment flights and confirm the condition of
selected structures or roads considered essential to maintaining normal
conditions, others were sent on sorties ferrying simulated medical
supplies, rescue missions were launched, or air-to-ground coordinated
searches were sent went out, asked to look for simulated dangers or
threats.
Houston Mission Base
operated out of the two-story building that Delta Composite Squadron,
Group IV, Texas Wing has on the D.W. Hooks Airport, Spring, TX. This is
a superior facility, well suited for the work. Run as a real mission,
local cadets and junior officers implemented building and ground
security to perfection. They looked so hard that they even found threats
that had not be planted by the Air Force planners (they all turned out
to be harmless), but it demonstrated a high level of awareness on their
part. The cadets ranged in age from 12 to their late teens.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
[5] 1st Lt Jim Douglas, C/CMSgt Jamie Douglas, C/A1C Andre Leger,
2d Lt Darrell Roquemore, and C/SSgt Corbin Brown man the mess area "al
fresco" by the SAREVAL building. [6] 2d Lt Aaron O'Connor by the
Delta C.S. sign, supervises outside security. [7] Capt Steve
Manley readies C/TSgt Robert Lewis for security duty. [8]-[9] The
operations room was the heart of the exercise, where the staff kept
track of all exercise activities in Texas Wing. (Photos: Capt Denise
Thompson)
An air of purpose and
determination permeated activities throughout the building. The
Operations Room, crammed with some 20 to 30 personnel (the numbers kept
changing as they walked in-and-out, on necessary errands), had the low
noise level typical of a friendly social club – voices were never
raised, tempers didn’t flare, the “board fillers” – a high proportion of
them cadets – executed a quiet and harmonious dance as they moved back
and forth between three walls that held many whiteboards. These were
gradually filled with mission details, which got recorded on the
electronic database, and the whiteboard data spaces got erased and made
ready for the next mission that would be assigned to that element.
Reaching the Operations
Room required getting past security. Very polite but firm cadets asked
for individual identification before anyone was allowed up the stairs.
The cadets were also bright. They soon learned who was allowed and who
wasn’t, so they stopped asking for identification from those they had
already cleared. When they detected any possible danger or anomaly, they
called on their portable two-way radios and asked the Security Officer,
a seasoned investigator, for his assistance.
Access to the building
was controlled as well, and internal access was compartmentalized. This
kept interference to a minimum, and the work got done efficiently and on
time. Aircrews were flying within the hour of being tasked, ground teams
were on the road equally promptly, having filled out all the required
paperwork, received their mission and safety briefings, inspected their
aircraft or ground vehicle, and been cleared to depart. The results
began pouring in, and they were all positive.
The Communications
Section kept track of every local aircraft aloft, or ground team in the
field, maintaining periodic progress and status checks. Field results,
sent in by the Staging Areas, were also maintained and recorded.
Administration,
Finance, and other support areas are less glamorous positions, but
they’re still vital to the conduct of a mission. Many cadets helped in
these areas, and their contribution was essential to freeing experienced
senior members to carry out more pressing tasks. Ultimately, the focus
was on the mission and satisfying the needed tasking. Getting it all
done is a complicated, interlocked, and demanding process. Getting it
done well and on time takes dedication, training, and leadership.
Texas Wing was working
like a fine, well-oiled machine, its parts humming as everyone put
“heart” behind the push to completion. The sham “Hurricane Buster” hit
Galveston and moved on to Houston, but luckily the simulated damage was
light. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and kept at the business of
managing assets, assigning aircrews and ground crews to tasks, providing
answers to the questions posed by Air Force simulators, and in general
taking care of the “to do” pile that couldn’t wait.
Then, later in the day,
as hurricanes are apt to do, it decided to behave like a tornado.
“Hurricane Buster” turned clockwise and, rather than moving east as
expected, it kept turning until it made a simulated second pass over
Houston. This time, though, it put the electrical plants out of
commission, downed high-tension wires bringing in electricity from
elsewhere, destroyed all cell phone towers, and downed the telephone
lines as well. To make it more interesting, even Internet access was
gone. What to do?
The Civil Air Patrol
has organic communications equipment that runs on portable generators.
Aircraft, too, have radio communications built in, as do CAP vans and
selected vehicles assigned to staff members. This “home” network can
reach very far into the world thanks to CAP’s airborne repeater stations
that fly at 10,000 ft and higher. Texas Wing has two of these, and they
have proved their worth before. This weekend, they worked well again.
Morale was high. As
obstacles rose, they were knocked down. Problems were thrown in, only to
be whittled down to size, parceled out, and vanquished. The Staging
Areas steadily sent in their reports, keeping the flow of information
running smoothly and accurately. A larger exercise, run by CAP’s
Southwest Region, a command echelon that comprises Arizona, Arkansas,
Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas Wings, asked for various
tasks to be carried out by Texas Wing. These were treated as requests
from a client agency. The Air Force was satisfied that Texas Wing did
not lose focus, and Southwest Region got its answers as unallocated
assets became available to satisfy those requests.
Later that Saturday,
the Inbox was considerably depleted, the number of reports kept pouring
in, all tasking had been largely assigned to resources that would be
freed to do the job on the following day, and all personnel and
equipment were back from their missions. It was beginning to look like a
very good day, which became even better when the Air Force decided that
they had enough information to come up with their numbers. The
evaluation’s operational phase was over.
10.
11.
[10] Maj Jeffrey Pearson, a member of the GA-8 aircrew, speaks on
his cell phone as Col Joe Smith, Texas Wing Commander, and Lt Col Max
Hays, Chief of Staff, look on. [11] At the "end of exercise"
briefing, Maj Pat Benoit announces that the Air Force has enough
information to grade the exercise. At far left is the Air Force
evaluator, Maj Vic Del Moral. (Photos: Capt Denise Thompson)
At last count, 97
missions had been executed: 67 sorties using 22 CAP aircraft, and 30
ground missions using 13 CAP vans. A total of 237 personnel, including
senior members and cadets, had participated in the SAREVAL.
“There’s still money in
the kitty,” said Maj Pat Benoit, the Incident Commander, “Let’s go home
now, and tomorrow we’ll finish what we started. Everyone should get as
much training as we can give them.”
Sunday’s tempo returned
to the usual friendly training routine. A routine that was now colored
by the knowledge that the evaluation exercise had come pretty close to
mimicking the activity one could expect when dealing with a real event.
Energized by the previous two days, the aircrews and ground teams kept
working with the same determination and purpose they has shown earlier
in the weekend.
It was “missions as
usual” and as expected, since the Civil Air Patrol is in a state of
constant readiness, and that includes expecting the unexpected.
Sunday morning, the Air
Force evaluators announced that Texas Wing had earned a preliminary
rating of Successful, which means “mission capable,” with four examples
of an Excellent rating. Mentioned were 1st Lt Brendan Goss,
Planning Section Chief; Lt Col Steve Haney, Logistics Section Chief; Maj
Dennis Cima, Ground Branch Director, and Lt Col Terry Alexander,
Communications Unit Leader.
12.
13.
[12] Maj Risher
Lewis, Group IV Logistics Officer, Air Force Maj Vick Del Moral, C/TSgt
Robert Lewis (Maj Lewis' son), and Texas Wing Commander Col Joe Smith
pose as Cdt Lewis proudly holds his SWLR Commander's Coin. [13]
Maj Vick Del Moral personally congratulates Cdt Lewis on his
performance, as Col Joe Smith looks on, with obvious pleasure.
(Photos: Capt Arthur Woodgate)
Also, three individuals
were recognized for outstanding work, and given a Southwest Liaison Region
Commader's Coin, a distinction seldom given to so many during a single
evaluation. They were Lt Col Owen Younger, Liaision Officer; Maj Randy
Russell, Planning Unit Leader; and C/TSgt Robert Lewis, Security.
When asked how he felt
about earning his coin, Cdt Lewis replied, “I’m honored to have it, but
I didn’t do anything special, really.” The son of Capt Risher Lewis,
Group IV Logistics Officer, Cdt Lewis is 15 years old, committed to the
Civil Air Patrol program, and a team player.
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, Information
Officer, SAREVAL 2007
Houston Mission
Base Staff Commentary, SAREVAL 2007, 18-20 May
Click on this link for the article, found in the "Cadet
Programs Guest Commentary" section (above).
Austin Staging Area (Apollo Composite Squadron, Group III),
SAREVAL 2007, 18-20 May
Click on this link for the article, found in the "Squadron and
Group News" section (below).
Denton Staging Area (Group II),
SAREVAL 2007, 18-20 May
DENTON, TX – On the weekend of May 18-20, the Nighthawk Composite
Squadron, Group II, Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol operated the Denton
Staging Area from its Emergency Services Support Unit, as part of a
recent state-wide evaluation. The exercise was designed to test Texas
Wing and the Squadron’s capability to support state and federal agencies
during a disaster of Hurricane Katrina proportions.
During the weekend, the Nighthawk and Ft. Worth Phoenix Composite
Squadrons were two of many Civil Air Patrol squadrons across Texas to
practice avoiding a monster hurricane that might make landfall in the
Houston area and travel up the State, assessing the resultant damage,
rendering aid to the population, and helping in the recovery process.
This exercise was designed to prepare CAP’s Texas Wing in the event that
such a disaster might become a reality, at the same time that it tested
the wing’s ability to carry out its missions during such an emergency.
Civil Air Patrol units from across Texas State participated in this
exercise, with nearly all Texas Wing aircraft and selected ground teams
operating from 24 dispersed Staging Areas, in effect covering all of
Texas. The weekend-long exercise was conducted following a scenario
written by the US Air Force, and rated by Air Force evaluators. It was
up to the Civil Air Patrol’s Incident Commander and his staff to resolve
the situations put into play by the Air Force, many of which required
tasking of the Staging Areas. This is a bi-annual event for all Civil
Air Patrol wings, designed to test each wing’s operational readiness.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
[1] The squadron's Emergency Services Support Unit. [2]
Cadets work the radios during the exercise. [3] Cadets relax
after a day in the field. [4] Capt Greg Bowman of Ft Worth
Phoenix CS and Capt Tommy Hudson of Nighthawk CS dish out dinner. [5]
Capt Greg Bowman of Ft Worth Phoenix SC and SM Tim Stephens of
Nighthawk CS enjoy their meal. [6] Capt Tommy Hudson at the radio
console.
The Nighthawk Composite Squadron’s ES Support Unit is a special-purpose
vehicle sponsored by individual unit member’s contributions. This
“rolling field office” constitutes a stand-alone mobile facility capable
of supporting airborne and ground search and rescue activities. The
vehicle is equipped with a complete communications suite that covers the
high frequency (HF) to ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands. Erectable
antennas extend the communications range when operating from a fixed
site. Inside the mobile unit, CAP C/A1C Patrick Slaughter, C/Amn Taylor
McNeill and C/Amn Joshua Lewis operated the radios, maintaining contact
with aircraft and ground teams that were deployed throughout northern
Texas. Communications were also maintained with the exercise’s Houston
Mission Base, located at D.W. Hooks Airport, in Spring, TX. While the
units were deployed, C/A1C Slaughter kept track of the Denton squadron’s
aircraft and ground teams on the Operations Status Board.
The Support Unit, essentially a dedicated control center, is fully
equipped with cooking and other facilities that allow for
around-the-clock field operations. During this weekend’s activities, the
members of the Denton Nighthawk Composite Squadron were joined by
several members of the Ft. Worth Phoenix Composite Squadron, as the
mission scenarios were resolved through field activities that were
tasked from Houston Mission Base.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
[7] 2d Lt Mike McDonald from Phoenix Sq, C/Amn Taylor McNeill,
C/A1C Patrick Slaughter, C/Capt Cassie Stephens, C/Amn Joshua Lewis, C/CMSgt
Daniel Gregory, and C/SMSgt Trevor Koller. [8]-[9] Reaching the
right GPS coordinates for a thorough search. [10]-[12] The search
paid off, but... what is it? [13]-[14] Off to a new search.
[15] Mystery box found way up the hill, inside a hollow tree.
(Photos: SM Joni Stephens)
Even though this was an Evaluated Exercise, training activities are
allowed whenever they don’t adversely affect normal operations. Taking
advantage of this policy, the Denton Staging Area supported 10 senior
members and 6 cadets for missions training exercises. Captain Greg
Bowman, a member of the Phoenix Composite Squadron, trained the cadets
and senior members in Urban Direction Finding and Search and Rescue
techniques.
On Saturday evening, the ground team members and support staff enjoyed a
hot meal after a long day of mission participation, followed by a
well-earned rest. On Sunday morning, the cadets were up early, cooking
breakfast for the group and preparing to be tasked for the sorties that
were sure to come as part of Sunday’s operations. The USAF Evaluated
Exercise ended on Saturday, showing that Texas Wing is mission-ready.
On Sunday, an aircrew consisting of Capt John Seabourn, pilot, and Lt
Col Henry Howe, observer, located a road that had flooded due to recent
heavy rain. The aircrew photographed it and relayed the location to the
exercise headquarters in Houston. The photograph was also transmitted
electronically to Houston Mission Base for forwarding to state
officials. Had this been an actual disaster, CAP air and ground crews
would have been able to provide local emergency managers rapid damage
reports and video data to assist in the disaster relief operations.
(Photo: Lt Col Henry Howe)
(Lt Col
Henry Howe, Denton Staging Area Manager)
Houston Mission
Base (Brownsville Composite Squadron, Group V), SAREVAL
2007, 18-20 May
D.W.
HOOKS AIRPORT, Spring, TX
– Texas Wing had invited the
Brownsville Composite Squadron to send a Ground Team to the SAREVAL
2007 in Houston. Maj
Sean
Crandall, the squadron commander, participated as Ground Team
Leader, accompanied by the following ground team members: 1st Lt
Cesar Riojas, C/Maj Cesar Riojas, C/1st Lt Thomas Kraft, C/CMSgt
John Rios, C/CMSgt Carlos Castro, and C/MSgt Ruby Moreno.
The Brownsville Composite Squadron won the Texas Wing Ground Team
Competition this year, and is known for its good work. The team's
trip to Houston and back, however, was not without incident
– fortunately without
any personal injury.
Departing from Brownsville on the evening of Friday, 18 May, the
team drove 376 miles to Houston and completed a sortie around 4 a.m.
on Saturday. Tired but happy, they set up camp at mission base and
got a quick rest. On Saturday, after the mission and safety
briefing, the team embarked on its first mission at 8 a.m., and
completed its sorties by 7 p.m. that day.
Since the SAREVAL's evaluation phase was completed by Saturday
evening, the team got briefed Sunday morning and took an outbound
sortie back to Brownsville at 10 a.m. That's when the trouble
started. The CAP van developed an electrical short and broke down in
Refugio, on Rte 44 just north of Corpus Christi. Since we could no
longer drive it, we made arrangements for alternate transportation
and had the CAP van towed away.
1.
2.
[1] When they're not on a mission, ground team members know
how to grab some shut-eye no matter what. [2] Yes, the van
got towed away, but the rental vans from Corpus Christie saved the
day.
We waited 3.5 hours for two Corpus Christie members to rent two mini
vans, which we used to return the members to Corpus Christie. We
then continued our trip and arrived home at 10 p.m. Sunday night. We
were all tired but happy to be home, and our last sortie was now
complete.
This was the second time that this van had broken down on us. On a
previous occasion, on our way to San Antonio, we had another
electrical short that caused smoke to come out through the steering
wheel housing.
At home station, we had fielded a second ground team at our
Brownsville Staging Area. I don't believe any other Texas squadron
worked two ground teams, one at their home staging area, and the
other one at Houston Mission Base. We were happy to learn that Texas
Wing had earned an overall Successful rating, and that the Ground
Team Director had merited an Excellent. We knew that would have been
impossible without ground teams working in the field, so we felt
good about it.
(Maj
Sean
Crandall, Ground Team Leader)
Mesquite Staging Area (Black Sheep Composite
Squadron, Group III), SAREVAL 2007, 18-20 May
Click on this link for the article, found in the "Squadron and
Group News" section (below).
Waco
Staging Area (Waco Composite Squadron, Group III), SAREVAL 2007,
18-20 May
Click on this link for the article, found in the "Squadron and
Group News" section (below).
|
|
Public Affairs
– Cadet PAO
 |
Another Cadet Voice Joins the Cadet
PAO Program
Cdt/Amn Anna Haworth is 14 years old, and
her prose is laid out with youthful abandon. She writes as she thinks
and speaks, and it sounds fresh and perky. I wonder what pearls she'll
produce in a year or two? She's a member of the Apollo Composite
squadron, and her work is
here. Welcome to the ranks of the Group III Cadet PAO Program, Cdt
Haworth.
And a Younger Voice Does the Same
Cdt/SrA James Gulliksen is 12 years old, and
not quite ready for prime time in the Addison Eagles Honor Guard. But he
accompanied the Honor Guard as they presented the colors at the Texas
Rangers Ballpark, and when the question was raised, "Who's going to
write about this one?" ... well, see for yourself,
below. This young man impressed
me with his sincerity, grasp of the moment, and clear spirit of
volunteerism.
Charmed by the narrative, I phoned his
father that Saturday morning, at home, but got no answer. Undeterred, I
called his cell number, and, "Hello?" was his prompt response. I had
caught the family in Louisiana on their way to Washington, D.C., where
they would do the sights. "All of them?" I asked. "Yes, all of them,"
his father answered. "In that case, I expect an article about that
experience, naturally."
Cdt Gulliksen's good efforts will appear in
the July issue of this newsletter. In the meantime, I welcome Cdt/SrA
James Gulliksen to the ranks of the Group III Cadet PAO Program.
An Unplanned Coincidence
C/2d Lt Tiffany Hamm, a member of the Waxahachie
Composite Squadron, sent me a short essay written a few days before
Memorial Day, "just in case the newsletter could use it." What she
didn't know is that for this issue's Air Combat Command Guest
Commentary, I had selected, "Our nation's flag
deserves proper respect," an
essay written by
USAF Col. John
K. McMullen, which I placed at
the usual spot at the bottom
of the Group Staff section.
Since the squadron news are presented in
alphabetical order, and the Waxahachie CS comes last, her young and
heart-felt words contribute a perfect "last word" to Col. McMullen's
commentary.
And we are so very proud of her
–
not satisfied with her double contributions on behalf of her own
squadron, she also sent in an article about the
Red Oak Cadet Squadron.
That's the spirit!
Capt Arthur E. Woodgate, PAO |
|
Public
Affairs
–
Hurricane Relief
 |
|
2005 Hurricane Relief Patch
Available Now
|
|
|
The 2005 Hurricane Relief Mission Patch is in. The production sample is at left. If
you want any patches, please send the following info: Name, Full
address, Telephone #, E-mail address (if you want a mailing notice),
Number of patches desired @ $5.00 each, plus a mailing cost of $1.00 per
order (check or money order made out to Irving Composite Squadron) to:
Irving CS
P.O. Box 710068
Dallas, TX 75371-0068 |
|
Orders will be mailed promptly. Project Officer: Lt Col Dietrich P. Whisennand. |
|
| Safety
 |
Monthly Safety Briefing
Each Squadron is required to provide both a flight safety briefing and a
ground safety briefing each month.
The Sentinel, the national CAP Safety newsletter, should be briefed
as a minimum. Briefings need not be lengthy presentations - a 10 to 20
minute talk (and optional group discussion) is enough.
Maj Jeff Yevcak, the Randolph AFB safety officer
who is also the Randolph AFB liaison officer to CAP, has kindly offered
the following for the month of June, should you want to use them at your
own squadron.
June Flight
Safety Briefing (MS Word document)
June Ground
Safety Briefing (MS Word document) |
|
Upcoming Events
 |
Recurring Reports
|
5th of the Month |
All subordinate unit and staff
reports to Group III are due |
|
5 January |
Group Chaplain and
Transportation reports due |
|
1 March |
S3 and Real Property Reports Due |
2007
| |
June |
|
|
2 Jun |
Waco
– Location TBD |
|
|
17-24 Jun |
Camp Maxey, Paris, TX
– Comm School
|
|
|
17-24 Jun |
Camp Maxey, Paris, TX
– GSARSS
|
|
|
17-24 Jun |
Camp Maxey, Paris, TX
– PAO Bootcamp
|
Proj.Off:
Capt Arthur
Woodgate |
|
17-24 Jun |
Camp Maxey, Paris, TX
–
Summer Encampment |
|
|
30 Jun-1 Jul |
Camp Mabry, Austin
–
Squadron Leadership School (SLS) |
Proj. Off:
1st Lt Daren
Jaeger |
| |
July |
|
|
July |
Regional Cadet Leadership School
(RCLS) |
|
|
6-15 Jul |
Bishop Field
–
Glider Academy |
|
|
19-28 July |
IACE Hosting |
|
| |
August |
|
|
10-12 Aug |
Camp Mabry
–
ALS - Hosted by Pegasus |
|
|
18-19 Aug |
Addison
–
CLC Course |
|
Maj Alan O'Martin, COS |
|
A USAF Air Combat Command Officer's Guest Commentary

|
Our nation's flag
deserves proper respect
MOUNTAIN HOME
AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho (ACCNS) –
While driving
around base the other morning, I saw someone run from their car to the
entrance of their work center. I didn't think much of it until I
happened to look at the clock in my truck. It read 7:29 a.m. I began to
wonder if the individual ran to avoid our military tradition of playing
reveille where we raise the flag to symbolize the beginning of our day.
Obviously, I
can only hypothesize about the person's reasons, but I believe they were
trying to avoid paying respect to the flag. It's not the first time I've
seen it happen. I'll bet you went to leave the office or gym only to
find folks standing at the door waiting for our National Anthem to begin
and end while standing under the "safety" of cover so they didn't need
to stand at attention and salute our flag.
It really
bothers me, especially with so many of our Gunfighters deployed overseas
putting their lives on the line to preserve the flag and what it
represents. We need a change of culture here and give our flag proper
respect. It's not just a piece of cloth. It's a symbol of our freedom
and way of life.
The Army seems
to understand this more than their Air Force brethren. In fact, if you
ever find yourself on an Army post, people don't simply stop driving
during reveille or when the National Anthem plays. They get out of their
cars to pay respect.
Born in 1776
with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the United States
is the greatest country on Earth. Those who signed this document didn't
do it for personal gain; they all had much to lose. They understood this
but signed anyway because they all believed in the ideals of equality,
freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
And so began
our war of independence. The United States sustained roughly 120,000
casualties during this conflict, but we ultimately won our freedom,
allowing us to build on those three basic principles for the next
220-plus years.
Another
important document in solidifying our way of life is the Constitution.
If you've never read anything about its genesis, it is definitely worth
your time. The authors spent months arguing over many issues such as
state power versus federal power and proper representation at the
federal level of government. These particular arguments formed our
Congressional structure and voting. Ultimately, our forefathers created
a government where three separate entities
–
the president, Congress and courts
–
shared power, creating a system of checks
and balances vital to proper representation. This bureaucratic system
isn't fast or extremely efficient, but it works.
As military men
and women, we signed up to support and defend this Constitution and what
it represents. Throughout its short history as an independent country,
our nation called on the military to protect its freedoms and way of
life and the freedoms of other nations on several occasions. Millions
gave their lives protecting the simple ideas scribed in the Declaration
of Independence and Constitution.
I don't know
about you, but the image of our Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima is
forever engraved in my mind. The flag is a symbol of our nation, our
freedom and our way of life. It was important to the individuals who
risked their lives to ensure it stood tall flapping in the wind.
Think about
this the next time you have a choice between saluting our flag and
running "for cover" to your office.
At the same
time, let's not forget where we came from, the brave people who fought
for our independence and those who fight to protect our freedoms today.
We owe it to them to pay our respects. More important still, we owe it
to ourselves. We live in the greatest country on Earth, and our flag
represents who we are.
Col. John K. McMullen,
366th Operations Group commander
|
|
Useful Links |
Aviation & more
Aircrew &
Flightline Personnel Training Materials (CAP NHQ)
PAO Resources
Federal & State Resources (DHS, USAF,
Terrorism)
Safety
US Decorations Rack
Builder
–
All military, auxiliary, and civilian decorations
|
|
|
Addison CS
 |
SM Andrew Franklin Visits the Squadron, 24 April
ADDISON, TX
– The Addison Eagles Composite Squadron got
an unexpected treat at the end of April when SM Andrew
Franklin came to our last meeting of the month. At the moment, SM
Franklin is officially known as PFC Franklin, United States Army,
currently stationed in Iraq. As he was home on short-notice leave, he
wasted no time in letting his other “Band of Brothers” know that he was
alive and well, and to personally thank them for their thoughts, prayers
and good wishes.
SM Franklin also took time out of his busy schedule to assist with one
of Plano Independent School District’s elementary schools’ “Field Day,”
their version of a yearly, mini-Olympics. Since two of Lt Woodward's
children attend the school in the second and fourth grades, the children
in these grades knew "all about" Andrew’s service to their country.
Eager to do something about it, from time to time, the children had sent
him handmade cards to Iraq. All of the youngsters were very excited at
being able to see their hero in person, and many there
– adults and children alike
– personally thanked him for his hard work.
1.
2.
3.
[1] Andrew (in green shirt) and
Coach David Knaus (in grey shirt) check the tug-of-war-rope prior to a
competition between two fifth grade classes. [2]
Andrew (still in green shirt; all
teachers wear grey) as anchor in the tug-of-war. [3]
End of the Day Exhaustion
– SM Andrew Franklin takes a
breather with Lt. Woodward's youngest two, Adam and Mary Elizabeth, 4th
and 2nd graders, respectively.
Not only did Andrew referee grass-hockey, but he was also gleefully
conscripted by the teachers to anchor their side of the tug–of-war rope
during their annual battle with the fifth grade (the latter often
win). To nobody's surprise, the "augmented" educators ultimately
won. However, not a single child begrudged SM Franklin’s participation
in the game
– most of them were of the opinion that he needed to play as
much as they did.
It should be noted that SM Franklin went to quite a bit of trouble in
paying this visit. For the privilege of standing outside in the sun all
day, and losing his voice as he helped coach and referee children from
Kindergarten through Fifth, PFC Franklin had to complete the standard
PISD background check. Not only did he go out of his way to do this, but
he is looking forward to doing it again next year, when he plans to
return and help in yet another Field Day. (Photos: 1st Lt Laura Lee
Woodward)
(1st Lt Laura Lee Woodward)
Addison Eagles Present
Colors at Texas Rangers Game, 23 May
ARLINGTON, TX – CAP cadets represented patriotism as they
proudly presented Old Glory at a Texas Rangers baseball game in
Arlington, Texas. Addison Eagles’ Honor Guard, comprised of C/MSgt Scott
Gulliksen, C/CMSgt John Leroy, C/2d Lt Derek Prucha, C/TSgt Daniel
Stolzer, and Denton Nighthawks’ C/Capt Cassie Stephens, all performed a
tribute to CAP during this event on May 23.
They started by opening and closing a presentation at the Rangers’
Legends of the Game Baseball Museum, and soon after marched onto the
field. When asked how it felt to present the colors at the game,
Gulliksen said, “I am proud to be performing for our country. It gives
me self-respect, and a lot of dignity.” In the past, the Honor Guard has
presented the colors at many other activities, including a home school
graduation only a few weeks ago.
1.
2.
[1] The Addison Eagles Honor Guard presents the colors at the
Texas Rangers Ballpark, 23 May 2007. [2] (Rear) Maj Scott
McCleneghan and 2d Lt Don Gulliksen. (Front) C/2d Lt Derek Prucha,
C/MSgt Scott Gulliksen, C/Capt Cassie Stephens, C/TSgt Daniel Stolzer,
and C/SrA James Gulliksen, who said, "Staying to watch the game was a
blast."
Honor Guard members have found that events such as this one bond them in
a way that attending routine meetings cannot do. They encourage others
to participate in many events for the fun of it, and it motivates CAP
members to be active in the Civil Air Patrol. In fact, it is hard to
fully enjoy what CAP is all about without being part of activities like
this one.
As Honor Guard members pursue their CAP career, they know that practice
makes perfect. In the Honor Guard, every member has a job, knows what
the job requires, and when each task needs to be performed. Without
practicing, the Honor Guard wouldn’t have been selected to perform at
the Rangers ballgame at all. The cadets agreed that their long hard work
had finally paid off at this event.
But even though presenting the colors is serious, it wasn’t all work and
no fun for the Honor Guard members. The cadets got to stay and watch the
game, which was a blast. They interacted with the people, answered
questions, chatted with veterans, and even had their picture taken with
the fans! The members also visited the Texas Rangers Legends of the Game
Baseball Museum.
The cadets had a great time, and enriched their CAP career. They want to
stay active in the Honor Guard, intend to keep working on their skills,
and hope to participate in many other events like this one. (Photos:
SM Joan Gulliksen)
(C/SrA James Gulliksen) |
|
Anderson County CS
 |
Two
Cadets honored in Mitchell Ceremony, 19 May
PALESTINE, TX
– On
Saturday, 19 May,
a
WWII 20-man canvas tent that had
been erected at the Texas State Railroad Park as part of an Armed Forces
Day military re-enactment was the chosen setting for a double
Mitchell Ceremony.
In
attendance were Capt Bryan Smith, commander of the
Anderson County Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing, and Maj Mike Hopkins, commander of
the Thunderbird Composite Squadron, Group IV, Texas Wing, in Houston.
Maj. Hopkins was a special guest at the Mitchell ceremony, at the
request of Cdt Andrew Smith, since the latter had met and admired Maj Hopkins
as a result of previous cadet activities. It was this cadet's
personal request that Maj Hopkins present him with his Brigadier
General Billy Mitchell Award certificate.
Palestine
Mayor Carolyn Salter presented each cadet with a Texas Flag that
had been flown over the State Capitol, courtesy of State
Representative Byron Cook, whose
office is in Corsicana. Pastor Larry Smith, Cdt Smith's father, read
the "chaplain" sections of the Mitchell Ceremony. This
rite of passage is an important step in a CAP cadet's career
progression, in that it marks the point at which the cadet leaves
the cadet enlisted ranks and assumes cadet officer grade. As part of
the ceremony, the cadet commits to following the ethical principles
of the CAP Cadet Corps, and accepts the personal responsibility that
comes with the higher leadership role.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
[1] Pastor Smith, Cdt Smith's father, says the invocation and
addresses the squadron members and guests. [2] Palestine
Mayor Carolyn Salter has just presented Cdt Todd Courtney with a
flag that flew over the State Capitol, a gift from State Repr. Byron
Cook. [3] During the Mitchell Ceremony, (Front row) Cadets
Todd Courtney and Andrew Smith, (rear) Maj Mike Hopkins and Capt Bryan Smith
[4] Cdt Todd Courtney has received his epaulets from Maj Mike
Hopkins, who was assisted by Cdt Courtney's grandparents. [5]
Cdt Andrew Smith receives his epaulets from Maj Mike Hopkins (left)
and Pastor Smith, his father. [6] After the ceremony, with
the new cadet officers wearing their now-authorized service hat, Maj Mike
Hopkins, C/'2d Lt Andrew Smith, C/2d Lt Todd Courtney, and Capt Bryan Smith.
C/2d
Lt Todd Courtney has attended NCOA, SNCOA, OTS,
GSARSS-B and A, served on staff at ALS, became the first in the
squadron to earn a
perfect score on the Rickenbacker Leadership Test, and then went on to earn other perfect scores in Leadership and Aerospace Test in
his Phase 2 training. Most notably, Cadet Todd Courtney became
the squadron's first cadet
to pass the Mitchell exam on his first attempt.
C/2d Lt Andrew Smith has attended NCOA, SNCOA, GSARSS-B and A, and
was the squadron's first
cadet to attend Hawk Mountain Ranger School, where he earned a Ranger 2nd
Class rating. He has attended the Texas Wing Powered Flight Encampment
and will attend it again this year, thanks in part to a $600 scholarship
from the Air Force Association, Dallas Chapter 232. Cdt Smith has served on Encampment Staff,
and this year qualified to serve on the SET team at the Texas Wing
Summer Encampment at Camp Maxey. Besides having served on staff
at an ALS, he is also the squadron's first cadet to have earned the
Community Service ribbon for service above and beyond that of Civil
Air Patrol. Cadet Smith earned this award for many hours of service to a
local soup kitchen and service as a Volunteer Firefighter
The unit commander, Capt Bryan Smith, put it best
when he said, "While
the Anderson County Composite Squadron may not have a very large
membership, its past recipients of the Mitchell
Award have certainly proved themselves worthy:
-
US Army
SPC Adam
Collie served 18 months in Iraq as a member of the 172d Stryker Brigade
Combat Team, has since returned to the US, and is now attending Airborne training
at Ft Benning, Georgia to earn his Jump Wings. SPC Collie
is a graduate of Westwood HS and
served as the squadron's Cadet Commander before joining the Army.
-
Eric Graser,
another graduate of Westwood HS and past Cadet Commander, is
currently an instrument-rated pilot on his way to earning his FAA Air
Transport Pilot License.
-
C/2d Lt Sarah Shelton, Drum Major
and an Honor
Graduate of Westwood HS, as well as a former Cadet Commander,
attended college in Tyler, with the goal of becoming a computer
animator.
-
US Army
PFC Justin Stringfield, a graduate of Westwood HS, has remained
in the unit as a 2d Lt after having served as the squadron's
C/1st
Sgt. He is currently serving in Iraq at a base in Al Kut.
To all
of them, our thanks and admiration for their service."
|
|
Apollo CS
 |
Red Poppy Ride , 28 April
GEORGETOWN, TX – On Saturday, 28
April, a very enjoyable
“festival” if you will, known as
the Red Poppy Ride, took place
in Georgetown. I've never been a
fan of the interestingly clad
men and women riding bikes whom
I perceived as mere traffic
blockers... that is, until I
decided to volunteer with the
Civil Air Patrol to help them.
We arrived at about 0600, far
fewer than normal in attendance,
but only because there was
another equally important event
going on at that time. The
Apollo Composite Squadron
members able to be there were
Captain John Benavides, Second
Lieutenant Sue Kristoffersen,
Senior Member Monica Corley, and
Cadets Cameron Condrey,
Nathaniel Condrey, Stephen
Corley, Anna Haworth, Jonathan
Kokel, and I. First Lieutenant
Tim Fowler, from Kittinger
Phantom Senior Squadron, also
came to help.
The day began with a cheerful
squawk – at least that’s what it
sounded like, as the
walkie-talkies were distributed
and tested. The cadets were
split into two teams: Corley and
Haworth. Corley’s team – I was
part of it – helped with car
parking in the back field;
Haworth's team got another
parking area. Once our back lot
had been filled, we joined the
other team at Parking lot B.
About this time, the flood gates
opened and the people poured in.
Or maybe it was because the race
was about to start. Only a few
minutes had gone by when there
was no more parking room and we
were forced to move on to a
third parking lot. Cadets were
stationed at each lot to let new
arrivals know where to park.
Finally, the race began and we
were free to leave and enjoy
ourselves.
I felt privileged when Senior
Member Monica Corley asked if I
would like to join her and Cadet
Corley later in the morning and
help at Rest Station #4. I was
glad to know that she felt I was
mature enough to join her.
Now, it has been my experience
that when a person or
organization volunteers, the
group is given a short hello and
then told very curtly exactly
what they are to do. That,
however, was not the case at
Station #4. When we arrived, we
were greeted very warmly and
told to help ourselves to their
refreshments. There were some
very nice ladies holding bikes
for the riders, so we decided to
be courteous and help as well.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1] A bicycle rider
arrives ready for a break as Cdt
Walden sets a table. [2]
Cdt Walden, Cdt Corley, and 2d
Lt Kristoffersen getting ready
to help at Rest Station #4.
[3] The riders are happy to
have CAP members hold their
bicycles while they get their
water and light snack. [4]
Cdt Erica Condrey's
wonderful CAP poster board.
(Photo [2] Capt John Benavides;
others, 2d Lt Sue Kristoffersen)
Nearly every rider that stopped
praised each of us unceasingly
for our kindness, and asked a
lot of questions about the Civil
Air Patrol. We asked that they
vote for our Station and every
rider agreed to and thanked us
some more for the homemade
refreshments. Cadet Jonathan
Kokel had contributed a large
batch of cookies that were
devoured in minutes.
I also must include thanks for a
special person who could not
attend, but decided to do what
she could in spite of it. Cadet
Erica Condrey had created one of
the most amazing tri-fold poster
boards I had ever seen. All
along the sides were pictures of
our recent Volunteer activities
with the Civil Air Patrol. In
the center, to commemorate our
cause, she had created three
large poppies that stood out in
3-D.
The poster, in my opinion,
erased any doubts about who we
were: The Civil Air Patrol. Her
poster even helped our squadron
find a contact who offered to
help us with a very special
hands-on interaction – she is an
Army pilot stationed at Ft.
Hood, who offered to come visit
us at our squadron with at least
one Apache helicopter! There
were many riders who said they
had been in the military or had
close relatives who were, and we
were able to learn a great deal
from them.
It was a wonderful experience,
and one that helped me realize
that no matter how strangely
someone is dressed, or how
extravagant a person might seem,
each should be given a chance. I
no longer see the bike riders
who go past our house as strange
or "in the way." Now my memory
recalls all the smiling faces
thanking me for doing nothing
more than giving them a chance
(and holding their very
expensive bikes).
(C/Amn Rebecca Walden)
Apollo Composite Squadron Works
in the SAREVAL 2007, 18-20 May
AUSTIN BERGSTROM AIRPORT,
Austin, TX – Of all the things
you can do in CAP, my main focus
is comms. I think the SAR
evaluation was a great success.
Our squadron went over to the
Austin Bergstrom Airport and
teamed up with the Kittinger
Phantom Senior Squadron. We do
this often and like it.
There were three cadets and two
senior members present: Capt
John Benavides, 2d Lt Nicholas
Capo, C/CMSgt Michael Moody, C/SrA
Justin Benavides, and I. We had
a whole lot of fun, especially
setting up the radios, but
working the radios was serious.
When it got quiet on the radios,
we made our own fun.
My favorite part was when one of
the cadets left and only two of
us were left, because then I got
to work the ground to ground
radio and the ground to air
radio at the same time. They
told us that we handled the
radios very well. We thought
that was easy, because we all
worked together. If nothing was
going on, the senior members
would tell us we were acting
immature, but then we got our
act together whenever the
situation called for it.
We worked a 12 hour day. One
hour set-up, 10 hours on the
radio, and another hour for
tear-down. Also, I'm glad I did
this, because now I have a
better understanding of the
communications side of CAP.
(C/Amn Anna Haworth)
|
|
Black Sheep CS
 |
Waco Consolidated SAREX,
27-29 April
WACO, TX – On 27-29 April 2007, 2d
Lt Jerry Barron, C/A1C Jeremy Banks and C/SrA Andy Papson.,
all members of the Black Sheep Composite Squadron, Group
III, Texas Wing attended the Texas Wing Consolidated Search
and Rescue Exercise (CSAREX), held at Waco.
On Friday evening, 27 April, they
assisted in setting up the UHF and VHF portable
communication station, as well as setting up some 20
sleeping cots for inbound members from the rest of Texas
Wing. Accommodations involved sleeping in a large hangar,
where about seven aircraft were stored and some were being
repaired.
The members enjoyed sleeping
alongside a Commemorative Air Force A-26 Invader (The Spirit
of Waco), which flew on the following Saturday morning,
carrying paying customers.
That Saturday, after a morning
safety and operations briefing, CAP members were divided
into ground teams and aircrews. The aircrews outnumbered the
ground team members, since there were 11 CAP aircraft parked
on the tarmac. The ground teams were assigned mostly local
missions, and some ground teams were sent to a neighboring
airfield to practice "ramp" checks and Emergency Locator
Transmitter (ELT) searches.
The tall grass and rough terrain
that they found at the new location made it virtually
impossible to rely on anything other than CAP’s
signal-acquiring, portable electronic equipment. “Locating a
signal turned out to be much harder to do in an overgrown
grassy field than when it’s coming from inside a metal
hangar,” said 2d Lt Barron. He also noted that the
important lesson the team learned that day was, “Trust your
equipment.”
That evening, as things were
winding down after dinner, mission base received a radio
call, “Mission base, this is CAP flight 4245, over.” C/A1C
Banks and C/SrA Papson were working the radios when the call
came in, and learned that a civilian pilot had sent out a
Mayday distress call. Upon receiving that message, Waco Air
Traffic Control (ATC) relayed it to the last CAP flight to
leave mission base, which was still flying its mission. That
aircrew, in turn, called it in to mission base.
Within twenty minutes, there were
two other reports of ELTs going off in Texas. One was in
Waco, the other one in Austin. Being closer to the second
beacon, the Pegasus Composite Squadron was notified to send
out a ground team to handle the Austin ELT signal.
1.
2.
3.
[1] C/A1C Jeremy Banks
(left) at the field communications station, with the CSAREX
Communications Officer, C/SMSgt Michael Moody. [2]
C/SrA Andrew Papson, one of
the Mission Radio Operators, tells 1st Lt Jim Wreyford
(Apollo C.S.) about the "Mayday" transmission. [3]
After their "find," 2d Lt Jerry Barron,
C/SrA Andrew Papson, and
C/A1C Jeremy Banks.
The ELT beacon in Waco, either
intermittent or a spurious signal, was never heard from
again. The Mayday call, on the other hand, turned out to
have been an actual plane crash. Fortunately, the pilot
walked away from the slightly damaged aircraft. As a result,
the CSAREX teams in Waco were told to “stand down” and
return to base.
On the following Sunday morning,
29 April, there was yet a third ELT signal reported. “We
have an ELT going off in the Grand Prairie area,” said Lt
Col Nancy Smalley, who was working on the CSAREX’s Staff and
is also the Texas Wing Chaplain, “Who wants to take it?”
Within fifteen minutes, the Black
Sheep Composite Squadron crew were heading northbound toward
Grand Prairie on a real mission. Two hours later, the search
team arrived at the Grand Prairie airport, where they could
detect the faint sound of an active ELT beacon.
After contacting the Grand
Prairie Airport’s Fixed Base Operator (FBO) staff, they
received approval to search the ramp for the source of the
now-steady and quite loud beeping ELT. Cadets Banks and
Papson remembered their lesson from the previous day (“Trust
your equipment”) and actively narrowed down the beeping
signal to a small yellow T-211 Torpedo that was inside a
maintenance hangar.
Notifying the FBO staff of their
findings, the ELT was disarmed and the beeping stopped.
Congratulations to Cadets Banks and Papson upon earning
their first “Find” ribbon.
(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)
Cadets
Recognized,
1 May
MESQUITE, TX
– On 1 May 2007, four cadets members of the Black
Sheep Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing were
recognized during the squadron's recent awards ceremony.
(Left to right) C/TSgt Matthew Garcia qualified to wear the
squadron's patch, cap and T-shirt for successfully passing a
history exam about the original Black Sheep Squadron,
Brittany Stelting was promoted to C/SMSgt (the Goddard
award), Andy Papson was promoted to C/SrA (the Mary Feik
award), and C/2d Lt Rebecca McKinney received her Leadership
Officer award.
The squadron commander, Lt Col Mike Eberle, presented the
awards and encouraged all cadets to continue doing their
best in all their studies and testing.
(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)
Black Sheep
Composite Squadron Participates in the SAREVAL 2007,
18-20 May
MESQUITE, TX –
On 18-20 May 2007,
the Black Sheep Composite
Squadron, part of Group III, Texas Wing,
Civil Air Patrol took part in the statewide SAREVAL
Exercise. This is a biannual event, used by the U.S. Air
Force to evaluate CAP’s ability to perform its Search and
Rescue mission.
The cadets’ training was a
strenuous exercise that turned out to be both valuable
training in conducting ground searches, and also a lot of
fun for the participants. The ground crew consisted of 1st
Lt Opal McKinney, 2d Lt Jerry Barron, C/A1C Kasee Niskern,
C/SrA Andy Papson, and C/TSgt Matthew Garcia.
Working the radios were C/Capt
Rebecca McKinney and C/SMSgt Johanna Cohen, at the Mesquite
Metro Airport. They maintained open channels between the
ground crew and the aircrew.
Most of the cadets’ missions
were Geocache hunts, a global GPS game found at
www.geocaching.com where anyone can participate. Cadets
would first obtain the latitude and longitude coordinates
from the website, then search for unknown items that had
been left behind by unknown individuals.
After retrieving the items, the
cadets replaced them with new items, and entered notes in a
logbook that remains with the cache.
“I thought they would be mostly in the open, but soon found
out that people hide them in difficult places to get to,”
said C/A1C Niskern. “But it was all worth it when you find
it.” The cadets left behind
items that had something to do with the Black Sheep CS.
On the first day, C/SrA Papson
successfully discovered the first cache.
The second mission proved more
difficult than expected. Cadets walked through two miles of
muddy terrain and, even though they found no items, they
still had a lot of fun. “We had to watch our step,” said
C/TSgt Garcia. “But I liked playing in the mud. I would do
it again.”
On the following day, a Saturday,
the coordinates would take the cadets north of Fort Worth,
northwest of Meachum Field. C/TSgt Garcia found the third
target, a coffee can located on a very steep incline, under
some low-lying tree branches. "We
found items like DVDs, toys, flags, cigar boxes, stickers,
and a few coins. We left behind Black Sheep car stickers,"
he said.
The following mission that day
took them five miles away. “We searched through creeks,
cacti, trees, tall grass and steep creek banks,” said 2d Lt
Jerry Barron. Eventually it was his daughter, C/A1C Niskern,
who found the target – a small green ammo box filled with
goodies and a log book.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[1] C/A1C Niskern comes across an old ammo box.
[2] C/A1C Niskern looks over her new-found cache in the
woods. [3] C/TSgt Garcia, C/A1C Niskern and C/SrA
Papson leave behind Black Sheep CS goodies for the next
discoverer. [4] C/SrA
Papson and C/TSgt Garcia search for hidden treasure in the
dark. [5] C/TSgt Garcia and C/A1C
Niskern show off their cache.
“We found a lot of things in the boxes, such as toys and
DVDs,” said C/A1C Niskern. “Just about anything that
normally would be laying around your house.”
The last mission on Saturday was a
photo reconnaissance of a gas terminal located in the south
Irving area. Though not as fun as the previous missions, it
was still important training. By nightfall, the Air Force
said they had enough information so the evaluation was over.
On Sunday, the final day that had
been set aside for the SAREVAL, involved working with the
squadron’s senior members, who had been conducting aerial
search and rescue exercises during the weekend. The Black
Sheep CS commander, Lt Col Mike Eberle, set up a mission
that required air-to-ground coordination.
The aircrew would first search for
a “missing” airplane, and then direct the cadets to the
“crash site.” While C/SrA Papson worked the radios at the
Mesquite Staging Area, the rest of the ground crew set out
to locate the plane, using the coordinates they received
from the aircrew. The mission was successful, as the ground
team photographed an aircraft that turned out to be a
permanent fixture of an East Texas restaurant.
(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)
Cadet Promotions,
22 May
MESQUITE, TX
– Promotions were in order as cadets continue to
excel in their squadron. Tim Kleinmeier was promoted to
Cadet Senior Airman. Johanna Cohen and Andrew Smith were
both promoted to Cadet Senior Master Sergeant. First Flight
certificates were also presented to C/Amn Tracy Norman, C/AB
James Rodriguez, and C/SrA Tim Kleinmeier.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[1] C/AB James Rodriguez receives his First Flight
certificate from Lt Col Mike Eberle. [2] C/SrA Tim
Kleinmeier receives his First Flight certificate from Lt Col
Mike Eberle. [3] Tim Kleinmeier is promoted to Cadet Senior
Airman. [4] Johanna Cohen is promoted to Cadet Senior Master
Sergeant.[5] Andrew Smith is promoted to Cadet Senior Master
Sergeant.
“After cadets receive their first stripe,” said 1st Lt Opal
McKinney, “they are encouraged to take an exam on the
history of the Black Sheep Squadron. Passing this exam
entitles the cadet to wear a Black Sheep cap and patch.” The
following cadets were recipients of Black Sheep awards:
C/A1C Jeremy Banks, C/A1C
Kasee Niskern, C/AB James Rodriguez, and C/SrA Christopher
McCorkle.
(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)
Top Story in the Mesquite Neighbors Online Magazine,
29 May
The Mesquite Neighbors website has changed significantly.
Anyone can submit a story now, but the editor gets to pick
and choose which is more qualified to be in their newspaper.
So far, with the SAREVAL article, we are the "Top Story" in
today's webpage.
http://www.neighborsgo.com/?page_id=1000&site_page_id=5&post_id=2255
(1st Lt Kelly Castillo)
|
|
Crusader CS
 |
Former SR-71 Leader Visits the Crusader
Composite Squadron, 1 May
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – On 1 May 2007, the 47th
anniversary of Gary Powers’ U2 being shot down
over Russia, Col Richard H. Graham (USAF-Ret.)
gave a very informative "insider's view"
presentation on the SR-71 Blackbird to
Crusader Composite Squadron members. The downing
of Gary Powers in 1960 prompted Kelly Johnson,
president of the Lockheed Skunk Works,
to develop the SR-71 in only 22 months. This
highly successful aircraft,
after entering service in 1964, was retired in
1990, reactivated in 1995, then retired once
again in 1997. Altogether, fifty Blackbirds
were built and nineteen lost.
Col Graham spent seven years as an SR-71
pilot. Later, he served as an SR-71 instructor,
the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance
Squadron Commander, a Director of Program
Integration at the Pentagon, and the 9th
Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Commander at Beale
AFB (the latter a position that carried with it
world-wide responsibilities).
After retiring from the U.S. Air Force, Col
Graham flew for American Airlines before
retiring a second time. He is the author of two
published books, SR-71 Revealed: The Inside
Story and SR-71 Revealed: The Untold Story.
A third one, not yet published, is SR-71
Blackbird: Stories, Tales and Legends. He
is currently a Lt Col assigned to the Dallas
Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing, Civil
Air Patrol.
Crusader Squadron's 1st Lt Michael Hagle said,
“The presentation was very informative, and I
really enjoyed Col Graham’s delivery.”
After the presentation, Lt Col Roy D. Hill,
Commander of Crusader Composite Squadron,
presented Col Richard H. Graham (USAF-Ret.) with
a Crusader Composite Squadron patch. (Photo:
2d Lt Wes Bement)
(2d Lt Robert Severance III)
|
|
Gregg County CS |
Cadets Learn About FEMA’s Incident Command System, 24
April
LONGVIEW, TX –
At the April 24, 2007
meeting of the Gregg County Composite Squadron, Group III, Texas Wing,
Civil Air Patrol, the Safety Officer, Senior Member Jerry D. Cobb,
introduced the cadets to the FEMA Incident Command System and its main
components.
Senior Member Cobb, who
is a licensed paramedic and Captain of Station 5 “A,” Longview Fire
Department, conducted the class to show the cadets the purpose of the
command system, how it functions, terms used, and how each person is a
part of a larger team. The cadets learned the development of dynamics
and how they need to function for effective response whenever they might
be called on to participate.
This training follows
the national standards currently in place for disaster response in
situations where federal, state and local governments may be involved.
The introductory course used FEMA's ICS 100 class format as a basis for
presenting the information.
(SM Jerry D. Cobb)
Cadet Promotions, 1 May
LONGVIEW, TX – Seven cadet members of the Gregg County Composite
Squadron,
part of Group III, Texas
Wing, were promoted in a simple ceremony at the squadron's regular
meeting in May.
Captain
Steve Schluter, Squadron Commander, made official presentations to
the following cadets: Hannah Morton, Sam Morton, Heidi King and
Desiree Taylor were promoted to Cadet Airman, Andrew Shae was
promoted to Cadet Senior Airman, Jared Heath was promoted to Cadet
Staff Sergeant, and Caroline Morton was promoted to Cadet Technical
Sergeant.
(2d Lt Tracy Hollinshead)
Celebration of Flight Balloonfest, 4-6 May
LONGVIEW,
TX –
The Gregg County Civil Air Patrol
Composite Squadron,
part of Group III, Texas Wing,
participated in the Celebration of Flight Balloonfest May 4-6, 2007 at
Panola County Airport in
Carthage, Texas. The cadets served
on balloon crews, helped with parking, and performed a march-in and
drill-down activity. All proceeds go to fund scholarships for Panola
College students.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
[1]
(back) Gary Davis,
Nathan Cardino, Dedrick Taylor, Zachary Whiteley, and Austin Cheatham,
(front) Bryce Inboden, Catherine Camp, Kayla Cassel, and Desiree Taylor.
[2]
Gary Davis. (1st
rank) Kayla Cassel and Catherine Camp. (2nd rank) Nathan
Cardino and Dedrick Taylor. (3rd rank) Bryce Inboden and
Austin Cheatham. (4th rank) Zachary Whiteley.[3]
Catherine Camp, Kayla
Cassel, and Desiree Taylor with balloon owners from Ft. Worth.
[4]
Kayla Cassel and
Desiree Taylor. [5]
Austin Cheatham and
balloon owner. [6]
Catherine Camp, Kayla
Cassel and balloon owners. [7]
Catherine Camp, Kayla
Cassel, and Desiree Taylor with balloon owners from Ft. Worth.
(2d Lt Tracy Hollinshead) |
|
Irving CS
 |
(Photos in this section were taken by Lt Col Whisennand, 1st Lt
Opal McKinney, 1st Lt Vickie Clutter and Maj Jack Lewis) |
|
  Cadets
Have a Real Blast!, 5 May
DUNCANVILLE, TX – Three Irving cadets finished their rocketry badge at
the Group III Rocket Day: C/A1C John Lockhart, C/Amn Jonathan Rimmer,
and C/Amn Brandon Slagle. |
|
  Mitchell
Ceremony at GENA. Douglas MacArthur High School, 10 May
IRVING, TX – Lt Col
Owen Younger presented the Brigadier General Billy Mitchell Award to
C/2d Lt Michael Thomas during the squadron's evening meeting on 10 May.
Both of his parents participated in this impressive ceremony.. |
|
   Cadets
Share Space with the Boy Scouts, 12 May
DALLAS, TX – On
Saturday, 12 May, Irving, Black Sheep, and Crusader members represented
Group III at the Boy Scout Show, held at Dallas Market Center. Over
20,000 attended the show. The flapping bird, rocket balloons, Space
Shutttle tiles, and World Record paper airplanes were all popular. |
|
Flag Raising at the National Cemetery,
19 May
DFW NATIONAL
CEMETERY – By the dawn’s early light on Saturday, 19 May, 1st Lt Jera
Williams and several cadets volunteered to put up flags at the
Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. For more information about being a
"flag volunteer", please visit
http://www.tncf.org/events.htm |
|
Cadets Dream at ISDC, 24-28 May
ADDISON, TX
– The International Space Development
conference of the National Space Society needed volunteers during 24-28
May. Several cadets and their friends said “Yes.” Instead of sleeping
out under the stars, they rested under chandeliers in the Crystal Room
of the Intercontinental Hotel, in Addison, TX. Their mission?
Guard Pixel.
Pixel is a
spacecraft developed by Armadillo Aerospace. C/Lt Col Matthew Whisennand
and C/CMSgt Santos de la Cruz were two of the watchmen. Matthew said,
“We didn’t do much sleeping.” To find out more about Pixel, and see him
fly, please visit
http://armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home |
|
Members of the National Space Society
Say “CAP was Here”, 25-28 May
DALLAS, TX
– Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand, Lt Col
Dietrich Whisennand, and Capt Felipe Gomez represented CAP as
volunteers at the ISDC. Although they were originally scheduled to run
the Teen Program, the job changed when no teens registered. Their
modified duties included helping run registration, checking meal
tickets, stuffing bags for the conference, working communication,
troubleshooting equipment and working as runners.
They met CAP
members from other states, and important Space people
–
including the Honorable Harrison “Jack”
Schmitt (Apollo 17) and “Rusty” Schweickart (Apollo 9). Over 900
attended the conference. For more about the conference, please visit
http://isdc.nss.org/2007/.
Photo: Lt Col Cynthia Whisennand with Harrison Schmitt.
(Lt
Col Cynthia Whisennand) |
|
Kittinger Phantom SS
 |
A New
CAP Mission Pilot's Account,
28 April
WACO REGIONAL AIRPORT, TX – “What have I gotten myself into?” I thought,
as I received my first sortie assignment as an official Civil Air Patrol
mission pilot. Flying with me, Capt Dennis Bazemore – a pilot and
long-time CAP member – will be taking a training ride for his mission
scanner qualifications, and Capt Larry Gunnell will be in the right seat
as the mission observer and Dennis’s trainer.
We sit in the warm spring sun outside the hangar planning a grid search
in a quadrant over Hillsboro. After checking the weather and planning
the flight, we get one of the staff briefing officers to review our
sortie plan (called a CAP Form 104). In my short time in CAP, I have
learned that paperwork is just a part of the process. Once again, I am
reminded (by the briefer) that every box needs to be filled-in and that
– once again –, I’ve managed to miss at least one!
When I’m finally done, with all boxes checked off, the briefer releases
the sortie and I now have the keys to a plane I’ve never flown before.
I’m already thinking about weight and balance, pondering what avionics
might await me, and how this particular aircraft might fly. As the three
of us leave the hangar, walking along the flight-line of CAP aircraft,
I’m also thinking about the path that has led me to this day.
Five years ago, I had stood in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum –
the guard urging me out the door since the place was closing for the day
–, determined to make my lifetime dream of flight a reality. Like many
would-be pilots, I had the usual forces of life, work, children and
money seemingly working against me. However, that day in the Nation’s
Capital, I’d finally broken through those imagined and real barriers.
“No matter what,” I’d told myself then, “I will fly before the
Centennial of Flight.” While still at D.C., I had scheduled time with an
instructor at Pilot’s Choice in Georgetown Airport (GTU), north of
Austin – my home. On my return from D.C., I began my training – took
ground school, passed the written exam, soloed, took cross-country
flights, learned to navigate, practiced various emergencies, and
gradually increased my confidence and competence.
Then – the date is etched indelibly in my memory – on August 28, 2003, I
successfully completed my FAA Private Pilot check-ride. The following
December 17, I soared with the birds in the path first started by the
Wright Brothers’ humble hop, as I felt the prop-wash of the countless
pilots who had gone before me during the course of the first century of
flight.
Four years have passed since then, filled with wonderful experiences and
good friendships, including those I’ve made in my year and a half in
CAP. Today, in the here and now, the tarmac is heating up, and we’re
making our way to the aircraft for this sortie. Our bird has the
familiar CAP logo on the vertical stabilizer, and a logbook for Hobbs,
Tach and mission information rests inside on the pilot’s seat.
1.
2.
3.
4.
[1] After the exercise got under way, the flight-line never did
have all planes on the ground during daylight hours. In this composite
photo, 7 CAP planes await their aircrews. [2] The author checks a
plane he has been assigned to fly (not the one he flew on his first
flight) [3] Another view of the pre-flight check. The author is
standing at left. At right, Maj Dan Williams, Kittinger Phantom Senior
Squadron commander. [4] The Incident Commander, Lt Col Donald
"Chuck" Kowalewski, briefs the aircrews and ground team leaders.
(Photos: Capt Arthur E. Woodgate)
As is expected of the aircrew, we pre-flight the aircraft – I run a
weight and balance, and check that the fuel and oil are at the right
level. As soon as we complete the aircraft check, we call mission base
and get our release, the last piece of the prepping process. With our
flight release, the most recent weather from ATIS, and a clearance, we
call the tower with our call-sign – CAP Flight 4245 – and taxi out to
just short of runway 19.
We know the routine. Larry makes a CAP radio check before taxiing and
we’re prepared to report take off, in grid, out of grid, and landing
times – as well as providing thirty-minute status reports throughout the
flight.
“CAP Flight 42-45 holding short of One-Niner, ready for take-off,” I
report to Waco Tower.
Seeing that we’re ready to get into position, “CAP Flight 42-45, Cleared
for One Niner,” comes the Tower’s clearance reply.
“Cleared for One Niner, CAP Flight 42-45,” I acknowledge, take the
active runway, and accelerate.
“Airspeed alive,” I say out of habit, as the airspeed indicator begins
to indicate the plane’s forward motion. We’re quickly approaching
take-off speed.
With just a little back pressure on the yoke, we leave the ground,
moving swiftly. Well… as swiftly as a 172 will take you into the waiting
sky, anyway.
Working through first the climb checklist as the plane gains altitude,
we move towards the target grid. I make sure there’s no traffic near us
and scan the horizon. I have seen this view many times since attaining
my private pilot certificate, and this day is not much different. In
fact, it brings back to mind the view on the day I achieved my goal of
flying to mark the “century of flight” day.
Soon after December 17, 2003 dawned, the Centennial of Powered Flight, I
remember taking off from the Georgetown Airport (GTU) with my wife
Sidney for a day of flying across Central Texas. Beautiful, clear winter
weather had offered unlimited visibility as we soared past the chain of
shimmering lakes created by the Lower Colorado River Authority along the
Colorado River.
We had landed at Burnet, a nice town that had set the tone with a tour
of the air museum. Just after that, Llano had offered a wonderful
silence on the rocking chairs in front of the airport offices.
Fredericksburg had been memorable for a lunch partaken in a 1940’s-style
diner, right on the field. That day, a celebration of the Wright
Brother’s achievement 100 years earlier, had also marked my own passage
into a rich history of flight and the company of the countless pilots
who had led the way before me. I felt these pilots flying alongside me,
and I was happy to fly with them.
It’s time to go back to business… The CAP Cessna 172’s Lycoming engine
drones forward. The controls feel familiar now. I’d had some
first-sortie butterflies, but a little rational fear is always a good
companion to a pilot. It’s my first sortie as a mission pilot, and I’m
fortunate to have Larry Gunnell, an experienced mission pilot himself,
aboard as the mission observer. Together, along with Dennis as the
mission scanner, our aircrew functions smoothly as a team. Three men who
had met only minutes before, climbed onto an aircraft none of them had
ever flown, and found themselves able to work together well, are now
getting ready to accomplish their sortie.
5.
6.
7.
8.
[5]-[6] Capt Leonard Laws, of Apollo Composite Squadron, enjoys
his field lap desk as he makes his calculations and fills out his
paperwork for his mission. [7] Observer SM Jarat Borgess and
Mission Pilot Josef Merle plan the sortie. [8] Safety Officer Lt
Col Melanie Capehart briefs a ground team prior to departure on their
mission. (Photos: 2d Lt Richard Hacker)
Our training, the proficiencies we maintain, the commitment that led us
all to this moment away from family and other responsibilities, is what
makes the Civil Air Patrol work. At this precise instant I glimpse the
camaraderie, the trust, and the enormous potential of the Civil Air
Patrol as a powerful force in an actual emergency.
We fly to our latitude/longitude coordinates, a spot that marks the
entry point for our search grid, an approximately fifty-two square mile
piece of Texas assigned by the Incident Commander for us to search. We
plot a search pattern of parallel East/West lines and now fly back and
forth across our assigned expanse northeast of Waco. We’re searching at
1,700 feet, staying well clear of two towers and at least 1,000 feet
above the town of Hillsboro. Once our search is completed, we move off
the grid and return to Waco. Radio communications have been clear and
prompt so far, with no static.
As a relative newbie – I have just over 200 hrs of pilot-in-command and
over 300 hrs total pilot hours – I’m painfully aware that I’m surrounded
by pilots who have many more hours than I, as well as years of
experience. What a great opportunity to learn about flying, and search
and rescue operations too!
But let me tell you, all that experience hanging around me can also be
somewhat intimidating. Some of my fellow pilots have flown for the
military, as commercial pilots, or both – yet I’ve found them to be
consistently generous and welcoming. They have been brothers to me.
I am blessed in that I have many of them right in my own home unit, the
Joe Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron. Lt Col George Mihalcek, safety
officer, mission pilot and CFI, has offered lots of armchair flying
hints. He also keeps me thinking “safety.” 1st Lt Ferrill
Ford, maintenance officer and mission pilot, has shared his experience
on several Search and Rescue Exercises and Firewatch sorties. Capt Baron
Carter, CFI II, standards and evaluation officer, has given me CAP Form
5 check-rides, ongoing coaching on my flying and New Zealand slang, and
is currently working with me on my instrument flying. Maj Dan Williams,
squadron commander and mission pilot, gave me a CAP Form 91 mission
pilot check-ride and has always been generous with his wide and deep
knowledge of mission pilot flying and operations.
The flight back to mission is uneventful. We enter the pattern smoothly,
and get cleared to land. The tires touch down on Runway 19, we taxi back
to the ramp and shut down the engine. We are three colleagues, drawn
together by a common desire to make a difference, who have combined our
experience, skills and knowledge to achieve a goal. And I also know that
Larry and Dennis could easily name many other CAP colleagues who have
encouraged and supported them along the way. That’s how it is. The
experienced ones mentor the newbies like me, and some day I’ll find
myself doing the same.
Together, as we maintain and build our competencies and proficiency, we
will continue to make a difference. We will find someone who is lost and
needs assistance, or spot fires before they can do significant damage,
or guide young cadets into a life of service and a love of flight. What
matters to us is that our participation in the Civil Air Patrol will
continue to be an important part of the contribution we are committed to
make in our communities, Texas and the Nation.
On this bright day in Waco, under the big sky of Texas, as Larry, Dennis
and I walk away from the aircraft that is no longer unknown to us, I
know in more ways than one that we have achieved our goal. But, for now,
let’s just call it, “Sortie accomplished!”
(2d Lt
Richard Hacker) |
|
Pegasus CS
 |
The Squadron Helps Boy Scouts Achieve Rocketry Record, 12
May
AUSTIN, TX – Pegasus Composite Squadron, Part of Group III, Texas Wing,
is a dual-chartered CAP/Scout Venture Crew 351. In this role, the
squadron helped with traffic and crowd control, as Boy Scout Troop 990
and Cub Scout troop 990 achieved a Guinness world record at the Travis
County Exposition Center on Saturday, May 12th.
The combined troops accomplished this feat by simultaneously attempting
to launch 990 rockets. Although thirty-five did not fire, the record was
amply achieved, since the previous record had been 399 launched by a Boy
Scout troop in Omaha, Nebraska some time ago. Last year, Ethan Phillips,
a cub scout, had suggested to his dad that his group – with help – could
better that record.
The scouts assembled the rockets with the leadership and help of their
advisors and parents. Each rocket had an engine and a parachute, and
they were painted with bright colors for easy spotting on retrieval.
Each scout and family had a set number of units to assemble, and they
had been working on the project for six months. They also got support
from modeling clubs and a local business.
Watch a
video of this event. The people inside BDUs are our CAP members.
Our squadron’s participants were led by 2d Lts Christopher and Donna
Arnold. Pegasus aided in retrieving the rockets, though our primary
function was to make sure that the crowd was away from the line of fire
at launch. Following the launch, we aided in controlling traffic, so
that the scouts could retrieve as many rockets as possible.
The Pegasus group consisted of the following senior members: 2d Lt
Christopher Arnold, 2d Lt Donna Arnold, SM Karl Falken; as well as the
following cadets: Marcus Bialkowski, Rand Fowler, Alexis Falken,
Zack Harvey, Sean Stewart, Nathaniel Stiefer, and Jeremy
Castillo. Prior to the launch, Jenny and the Wolf Pack, a local band,
provided the music.
Overall, things ran smoothly. Not only was the launch a record-setter,
but for many spectators it rekindled a love of science and rocketry.
(C/TSgt Rand Fowler)
|
|
Red Oak Cadet Squadron
 |
End-of-School Party, 29 May
RED OAK, TX – School is out and summer is back in session for the Red
Oak Cadet Squadron. To celebrate the end of the school year, the cadets
held a party at the Red Oak Junior High located in Red Oak, Texas.
Cadets arrived with an empty stomach and one thing on their mind –
pizza. But the Red Oak cadets were not the only ones to attend the
party; this Waxahachie cadet arrived ready to eat too.
After pizza was served, Capt Jane Smalley, the Red Oak Cadet Squadron
commander, started off the evening by drawing cadets’ names from a bag.
Each cadet whose name got drawn was required to report to Capt Smalley
for a door prize. Once all the prizes had been handed out, Captain
Smalley rewarded her hardest working cadets with Squadron Certificates.
To end the evening, cadets gathered at a nearby park for
more socializing. Overall, the cadets had a wonderful time. C/SrA Tanner
Caffee said, “My favorite part of the party was the pizza. It was
delicious!”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
[1] Ch (Lt Col) Nancy Smalley looks after the
cadets' appetite. Pizza is served! [2] C/SrA Tanner holds his
pizza. [3] Capt Smalley draws a lucky cadet's name. [4]
Cdt Tucker gets his certificate from Capt Smalley. [5] Red Oak
cadets adopt a serious pose for the group shot, at the Junior High
cafeteria. [6] But then they start clowning around.
Since the Red Oak cadets take CAP as a class in school, and school will
be closed during the summer months, they'll be combining squadrons with
the Waxahachie Talon Composite Squadron until next Fall. But that is
just one of the changes; the two squadrons have decided to combine their
cadet staff members as well.
The lucky Red Oak cadet commander is C/2d Lt Tiffany Hamm (a Waxahachie
cadet). “I'm proud to be the new cadet commander for these two
outstanding squadrons. I look forward to working with all cadets, as
well as watching two Color Guards emerge from the squadrons and go on to
the cadet competition in February. I'm sure that, as a team, we'll
achieve the impossible.”
But what does the Red Oak Squadron think about the changes? C/SrA Sarah
Heitzmann commented, “I think that Lt Hamm will make a great cadet
commander. She always knows what to do, and she's very responsible. Lt.
Hamm is a good role model for everyone, and I look up to her.”
(C/2d Lt
Tiffany Hamm) |
|
Waco CS |
Waco Composite Squadron Contributes to SAREVAL Success, 18-20 May
WACO, TX – At noon Friday, 18 May, the Waco Composite Squadron, part of
Group III, Texas Wing was tasked with sortie #2 for the U. S. Air Force
/ Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue Evaluation Exercise (SAREVAL) that
took place May 18-20, 2007. Within a couple of hours, an aircrew
composed of Maj David Wilson (Squadron Commander) and Maj Phillip
Crawford was photographing evacuation routes out of Houston;
specifically U.S. Hwy 290 and Interstate Highway 45.
While in the Houston area, the aircrew landed at the David Wayne Hooks
Airport, in Spring, and reported to Houston Mission Base in order to
pick up the airborne repeater. This specialized radio gear can
re-broadcast signals received from the ground, greatly extending the
range of ground transmitter/receivers.
On Saturday morning, May 19, the same aircrew, with the addition of Maj
John Boyd, took off at 7:30 a.m. and flew to its designated station at
12,500 feet over Camron, TX reaching it by 8:00 a.m. The aircrew
maintained this position for the balance of the day, so that the
airborne repeater could provide state-wide communications for the
participating staging areas, which were dispersed throughout the
state. That evening, the aircrew returned the repeater to Houston
Mission Base.
On Sunday morning, May 20, an aircrew consisting of Maj David Wilson and
Maj William Wilson flew a Homeland Security photo mission near
Hearne, TX and then uploaded the photos to the
designated website.
The Waco Composite Squadron has an exceptional Communications Section
that is operational during most SAREXs. However, it was not operational
for this exercise due to other commitments.
The squadron is in the process of developing a search and rescue ground
team, which will be used in future exercises and missions.
[Editor's Note: Although images were available for this
report, the client agency did not release them for publication.]
(Maj David Wilson, Staging Area Manager) |
|
Waxahachie Talon CS
 |
Flight
Line Marshalling,
17 May
WAXAHACHIE, TX
– What is the next best thing to flying? Flight line
marshalling, of course! On 17 May, Waxahachie cadets practiced just
that. Cadet staff members of the Waxahachie Talon Composite
Squadron, part of Group III, Texas Wing, wanted to get a refresher
course on the skill, and they also needed to get the new cadets
started on proper flight line marshalling before the next pancake
fly-in, scheduled for 2 June at the Midlothian/Waxahachie Mid-Way
Regional Airport.
The fly-in is an important squadron fund-raiser, and it usually
attracts a lot of participants. Each time they come it's a different
mix, and often some exotic and very expensive planes end up coming
to this small corner of Texas. We love it, so we want to be prepared
for them, because we want to keep 'em coming.
The evening started out with a safety briefing about
flight line marshalling. C/CMSgt Josse stated, “Safety was the most
important thing I learned about flight line marshalling.” Shortly
afterwards, C/2d Lt Hamm instructed the cadets on how to properly
marshal an airplane. As soon as the class was over, the cadets were
eager to put their newly-learned skills to the test.
Having mastered the basics about marshalling, the
cadets now moved on to the ramp for a larger practice area. But
rather than marshalling real airplanes, the cadets marshalled the
cadet staff members around the ramp, pretending that their staff
members were actual aircraft.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
[1] (Left to right) C/TSgt Rachel Scarborough, C/CMSgt
Zac Josse, and C/AM Kiefer Swanson demonstrates the proper movement
for an airplane to shut off its engine. [2]
C/TSgt Rachel Scarborough and C/CMSgt
Zachary Josse demonstrate the proper movement to use when an
airplane starts its engine. [3]
C/A1C Tyler Riles marshalls cadet staff member C/CMSgt
Zac Josse. [4] C/2d Lt Tiffany Hamm instructs cadets on how
to tell an airplane to shut off its engine. [5] C/Amn Kiefer
Swanson guides a cadet staff member to a parking place. [6] (Left
to right) C/AB Whitney Liekis, C/TSgt Rachel Scarborough, and C/2nd
Lt Tiffany Hamm.[7]
Members
of the Waxahachie Composite Squadron gather in front of an Air Force
airplane.
Having marshalled the cadet staff around the
perimeter for a while, the cadets finally parked their staff members
in a parking place on the ramp. The junior cadets definitely had an
enjoyable time marshalling their cadet staff around, especially
since the cadets are highly motivated about the pancake fly-in.
C/A1C Tyler Riles said, “It feels so amazing to be in control of
something bigger than you.” [sic - Ed.] At last count, three
of Waxahachie’s cadets are the most motivated of all, and yes,
all three are females. (They like to hooorah! themselves,
too.)
(C/2d Lt
Tiffany Hamm)
Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue
WAXAHACHIE, TX
– Some people can travel across the world just searching to
discover God’s breath-taking creations. But for myself, every time I see
the American flag fluttering in the breeze, or hear the “Star Spangled
Banner” playing, I begin to think about the wonderful thing that God has
showered upon our country – Freedom.
Freedom is something that many of us take for granted. We
get so caught up in our busy lifestyles that we forget how fortunate we
Americans are in having a stable government, a caring President, and a
forgiving God. How many times have past dictators around the world
failed in trying to change every aspect of their government so that they
can satisfy their own wants and needs? – Too many to count.
Some Americans say that our President does not care for
our country. But if he did not care, he would not have chosen to stay in
office fighting for our freedom. How gracious is our God, to forgive us
when we do wrong and still continue to provide for us. When you are
driving to school or work, and you happen to pass by our American flag,
take a moment to thank God for everything He has given us and our
country. To each one of us, and to me personally.
So what do the colors red, white, and blue mean to me?
Red stands for our stalwart, brave men and women in uniform who fight
for our country. White is a symbol of how pure our God is. Blue
represents vigilance – does that sound familiar? The Civil Air Patrol’s
motto is Semper vigilans or, “Always Vigilant.” The next time you
see the colors red, white, and blue, in that familiar and honored
pattern we hold so dear, remember what all of these individual symbols
stand for – Freedom.
(C/2d Lt
Tiffany Hamm) |
|